Taking In Strays
by VBloodmoon4
Summary: Sebastian and Ciel come upon a homeless girl, Esme, who turns out to be demon. Ciel brings her back to the estate and ends up allowing her to stay. Esme, on the other hand, doesn't want to remain at the Phantomhive manor because of her own problems and when she gets involved with the demonic butler things begin to spiral out of control for both of them. Sebastian X OC
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello all! This is a story based off of a dream I had! I decided I needed to write a story based off it so here it is! Esme is an OC who is a demon but was bitten by a vampire bat demon. She doesn't eat souls like Sebastian does, and after being bitten by the vampire bat she has to incorporate blood into her diet as well as her normal carnivorous needs since her true form is a wolf :) I'm planning on this being a Romance/Angst story, which is venturing out of my comfort box since I'm used to writing Romance/Humor stories. I wanted to try this out and see how it goes, Sebastian and Esme, will definitely NOT be the normal happy couple. Here's the first chapter, enjoy!**

Esme was not your average girl. She was dirt poor and made meager amounts of money from small jobs she could pick up here and there. Her main source of income was the underground strip club that she worked at by night and she used that money to buy meals. She had no home and had roughed it on the streets for many years in Victorian England. It was an unforgiving life but Esme was an unforgiving person because she wasn't normal… she was a demon. Unlike certain demons of the underworld, Esme did not eat souls to survive. Her true form was that of a grey wolf which survived on flesh and blood. She had been born thousands of years ago and a few years ago she had found herself in a tussle with a demonic vampire bat. The demon had sunk its fangs into her and since that time she had required blood in her diet. Esme was not fond of feasting on human blood and removed herself from society to live on the streets so she would not be tempted. She hated that she had a thirst for blood and forced herself to ignore it.

Esme was a tall and lean girl with long dark brown hair that reached the middle of her back. Her eyes were a piercing emerald and her complexion was pale. She wore a hooded black cape that covered her below the knees where she wore a pair of heavy brown boots. She sat in a dark alley and watched people bustle by on the main stretch of cobblestone and a thirsting hunger hit her. She clenched her jaw and ignored it. The evening sun was starting to set and she stood up to make her way to the underground dance club. Esme pulled her hood up and walked briskly onto the street, skirting around slowly walking couples when she heard someone scream. She turned her head briefly and grunted when she hit someone in front of her. The tall man turned and glanced down at her with his ruby red eyes in an irritated manner.

"Sorry," Esme mumbled, her eyes shooting down quickly.

She started to walk around him when she heard a boy's voice ask, "Sebastian, what are you looking at?"

She felt a strong hand encircle her arm and stop her movement. Esme jerked around to see the same man staring at her with an infuriating smirk on his face.

"I do believe it's proper for a person to apologize when they've ran into someone," he said to her in a silky voice.

She stared at him in shock for a few moments before speaking up, "I _did_ say sorry."

He made a few 'tsk tsk' sounds and shook his head, "I'm afraid I didn't hear it."

"Sebastian, what _are_ you doing?" the boy next to him asked.

Esme noticed that he was wearing an eye patch over his right eye. She wondered what a boy as young as him could have gotten into to hurt himself so badly. She pulled her arm slightly but Sebastian held on firmly.

"Merely teaching a lesson my young master" Sebastian replied.

"We don't have time to be teaching _peasants_ lessons," the boy said back heatedly.

"Hey! Just let me go and I'll be on my way, I wouldn't want to sully the air you're breathing since you think I'm such filth," Esme spat.

Sebastian's eyebrows shot up and a sly smile spread across his features as he spoke slowly, "How interesting."

Esme's eyebrows shot up as well as she realized what his revelation was. They both had realized what the other one was.

"I have to go to work," she said, yanking her arm from his grasp.

Sebastian watched her walk briskly away and turn the corner before glancing down at his young master, Ciel Phantomhive.

"What was that about?" Ciel asked.

"That girl, my lord, was a demon," Sebastian replied.

Ciel stared at his butler in shock, "A demon? What is one doing here wandering the streets disguised as a homeless person?"

Sebastian tapped his chin, "I'm not quite sure."

"This might be something to look into," Ciel noted, "We should take care of her before she causes any problems."

"Your orders?" Sebastian questioned.

"Bring her back to the estate and I'll decide what to do with her next," Ciel told him.

Sebastian placed his hand over his heart, "Yes, my lord."

….

Sebastian followed the girl into a more scandalous section of the city where she disappeared around a building. He was about to follow her when his heart dropped.

"Oh Bassy! What are _you_ doing in this part of town?! I never thought I'd see you here!"

Sebastian ducked as a figure with outstretched arms flew over his head.

"I'm following orders given to me from my young master," he replied and added, "Grell Sutcliff."

Grell shot up from his fallen position and twirled around excitedly, "I'm so happy to see you!"

Sebastian rolled his eyes and continued his pursuit of the strange girl. He stopped when he rounded the building and there was a dead end.

"Grell, what building is this?"

Grell thought for a moment and answered, "An underground dance club, I've been here several times for collections of souls. Things are known to go horribly wrong in places like this!"

"A dance club? I take it that you aren't referring to ballroom dancing…" Sebastian trailed off.

Grell shook his head vigorously, "Heavens no!"

Sebastian let out a sigh, he wasn't fond of entering such a filthy place, but had to heed his master's orders. He glanced at Grell and nodded for him to follow. They entered the building where it was extremely dark and dilapidated inside. There was a creaky staircase that the pair descended. Sebastian could hear music being played on instruments and smelled sweat and cigarette smoke. He scowled as they entered unnoticed into the back of the club. There were many Englishmen present in the venue who were smoking and watching the show on stage. Sebastian narrowed his eyes as the two currently naked women on stage disappeared behind the curtain. The men howled and a new song started. Sebastian's eyes darted around the hazy room but found no trace of the girl he was searching for.

Grell grabbed his arm, "Bassy, why are you here if you aren't going to sit down? I didn't know you were into this kind of thing. You know… I could always dance for you," he winked.

Sebastian mentally wretched and cut his way around the tables toward a small staircase that led backstage. He slid by the guard and smirked as Grell got caught. He could hear the reaper crying out to him and flailing about behind him but continued on his way. A few girls glanced up as he passed by and turned from their makeup mirrors to look at him.

"Why is there a man back here?" some of them were questioning.

Sebastian stopped when he finally found what he was looking for. He reached forward and calmly grabbed the girl's arm.

Esme turned to face him and let out a small squeak when she saw who it was. She was wearing a hot pink silk robe with only panties and a bra on underneath. She swung around to face him.

"What are you doing here? Who are you?!" she whispered harshly as girls around her leaned closer to see what was happening.

"My young master wishes to speak with you," Sebastian replied.

"I don't know who your young master is, and I don't know who you are, so leave me alone!" she replied.

Sebastian gave her a small nod of the head, "Of course, how rude of me not to introduce myself, my name is Sebastian Michaelis."

Esme stared at the man speechless.

"Proper manners say if a person introduces themselves, you must also introduce yourself," Sebastian told her with a smug expression.

"My name is Esme," she replied in a whisper so the others could not hear.

"Your last name?"

"I don't have one," she told him shortly.

"Yes, I'd imagine so, most members of the underworld do not have a name at all," Sebastian said with knowing eyes.

"Look, it's time for my show, and I need to go," Esme told Sebastian, trying to walk around him.

He stopped her, "Your show's been cancelled, and you will now accompany me to the Phantomhive manor."

She stared at him in disbelief and he eyed her carefully, "And we'll get you some more suitable clothes for a lady."

….

"I have brought her as you asked," Sebastian bowed to Ciel who sat at his desk.

The room was dark with the exception of the oil lamp flickering on the earl's desk. Ciel nodded and narrowed his eyes at the girl's attire.

"Sebastian, why is she wearing such… whorish clothing?"

The butler let out a small chuckle and Esme growled, causing them both to give her strange looks.

"What is your purpose here?" Ciel asked her, becoming serious.

"Purpose?" Esme questioned with a confused expression.

Ciel gave her a dark look, "Are you looking for souls to feast on?"

Esme wrinkled her nose, "Why would you think that? I don't eat souls."

Ciel sat back in his chair and glanced at Sebastian, "I thought you said she was a demon."

Sebastian gave his lord a smile, "I did."

"Then why doesn't she eat souls?"

Sebastian gave the earl a small bow of his head, "Not all demons feast upon souls, young master."

Ciel looked surprised and turned back to Esme, "What do you eat then?"

Esme let out an irritated sigh, "I want to know _why_ I'm here when I was just going about my business and not bothering anybody."

"Answer my question," Ciel ordered, with narrowed eyes.

"I don't have to do what you say," Esme shot back.

Ciel turned to Sebastian, "Clean her up, then bring her back here."

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian bowed and grabbed Esme; dragging her out of the room.

"You'd do well to answer my master's questions," Sebastian told her in a scolding tone.

"He didn't answer mine!" Esme exclaimed, "I don't know why I'm even here!"

"You're a demon in a city, my master wishes to know why," Sebastian replied as he opened a door and ushered her inside.

Esme saw a large bathtub and looked back at Sebastian questioningly. He walked past her and began running hot water. He set towels near the edge of the tub and brushed by her out the door. She waited a few moments before he returned with neatly folded clothes.

"My master ordered me to clean you up, but I think this will suffice."

Esme scowled, "No, that's fine, I definitely don't want you actually _cleaning_ me up, I can do it myself."

"What is it that you eat?" Sebastian asked her; repeating Ciel's question.

Esme glanced up at him, "I prefer fresh meat."

Sebastian quirked his eyebrow, "Really now… you're quite skinny under that robe miss Esme. It would appear you haven't eaten in weeks. Perhaps there's something else that's… lacking in your diet?"

Esme gritted her teeth, "Maybe there is, but I'm not going to tell you about it."

Sebastian ran his gloved fingers through his dark hair, "The truth will eventually come to light."

"I don't plan on staying long," Esme grumbled, "Now get out so I can wash up and get this over with."

…

"What's with her Sebastian? She doesn't eat souls, and she wanders the city. Something is off and I intend to find out what it is," Ciel told his butler.

Sebastian frowned, "I'm not sure, she seems to be isolated because there was no scent of other demons on her."

Ciel put his chin in his hand, "Where exactly did you pick her up?"

Sebastian spoke plainly, "A dance club."

"She's a dancer?" Ciel inquired curiously.

A smirk spread across Sebastian's face, "Oh yes, quite the dancer my young master."

Ciel's eyebrow twitched, "Why do I get the feeling you're playing some kind of joke on me? She must be some kind of exotic dancer, with that awful outfit she had on."

Sebastian touched his chin in thought, "Exotic… yes, quite."

The door opened and Esme entered the room with an embarrassed expression. She was in a frilly pink dress and white shoes. She glared daggers at Sebastian who gave her an approving smile.

"Much better," Ciel commented.

"What do you want from me?" Esme immediately asked.

"I want to know what you're doing in the city alone," Ciel said.

"I didn't know that was a crime," Esme shot back.

"Where do you live?"

"Nowhere," she replied simply.

Ciel let out a sigh, "I can see your mood is no better now than it was earlier… You will sleep in a guest room tonight and we will continue this tomorrow."

Esme turned around and walked swiftly out the door. Sebastian and Ciel stared at each other for a few silent moments.

"Does she know where the guest room is?" Ciel asked and Sebastian chuckled.

"Young master, are you perhaps thinking of taking another stray in?" Sebastian questioned with a smile.

Ciel folded his hands and narrowed his eyes, "Show her to the guest room before she gets lost Sebastian."

"Yes, my lord."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry if this seems a bit slow moving, but my biggest fear is diving into something such as a relationship unrealistically fast. The story needs to build up a bit more before things like that can happen. Enjoy! **

Esme moved around in the dark mansion. She moved from door to door and huffed in frustration. No house should be this complicated. She felt like an idiot since she stormed out of the room with no idea where she was going. To any ordinary person they would be scared out of their wits in the haughty manor but Esme was immune to it. She had seen and lived through events that were worse than nightmares; most demons had. She knew nothing about Sebastian other than he was somewhat of a jerk, but Esme knew he had probably seen his fair share of horrid events as well. Esme sniffed the air, trying to figure out where she was but to no avail. She stopped walking and stared into the darkness. She still had no idea why the little earl had snatched her off of the street. She had been around for years without anyone bothering her. She had moved from place to place for thousands of years with no real problems. She encountered a few demons on the way but none like Sebastian. Esme was aware that there were demons that lived off of human souls but she had never really associated with one.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Esme jumped and turned to see bright ruby eyes staring down at her through the darkness. She clenched her fists and grumbled with an embarrassed look on her face.

"I've been ordered to show you to your room," Sebastian said.

Esme said nothing and followed the butler around many turns and halls. She stopped abruptly when he came to a halt at one of the large wooden doors. He turned and motioned for her to go in. Esme cautiously opened the door and watched him skeptically. She entered the room and saw a large bed with lavender sheets. She glanced back at Sebastian who watched her silently as she moved around the room. She examined the desk that was in the corner and moved to the closet that already had clothes in it. She gulped as a hunger pang hit her and rubbed her abdomen as she looked out the large window. She gazed down at the courtyard of the manor which was dark with the exception of a few lights shining up to illuminate the fountain in the center.

"Do you require anything?"

Esme jumped again, forgetting that Sebastian was still there. She turned and shook her head.

"Are you positive you don't require anything to _eat_?" he annunciated the last word and eyed her suspiciously.

"No," Esme bit out, "I'm fine."

"Very well," Sebastian gave her a curt nod.

"I still don't understand why you dragged me here," she told him.

"I do as I'm told," Sebastian replied simply.

"I've never met a demon who feasts upon souls and from what I'm seeing so far I'm glad I haven't," Esme spat.

"It's not the most pleasant way of life, I'll agree with you, but I think you have your own problems that you're unwilling to face," Sebastian said.

"My problems are none of your concern."

Sebastian swiveled about and opened the door, "Goodnight Esme."

She watched him close the door and stared at it for a few moments after he had left. She touched her abdomen and sighed, she was incredibly hungry. She hadn't had a fit meal in days and it was starting to wear on her. She looked outside the window where she saw a forest in the distance. She made up her mind instantly that she was going hunting, even if it was something as small as a squirrel it would hold her over for a little while. Esme tried to open the window and growled when she found that it was locked. Luckily she wasn't a human or else it might be troublesome for her. She pulled extremely hard on the window until a loud crack echoed throughout the room and the window slid open. Esme smiled at her success and hopped onto the windowsill. She curled her lip when she saw how far above the ground she was. She wasn't fond of heights and was especially not fond of the idea of falling. She edged herself out onto the stone ledge and began climbing her way down the front of the mansion, using other ledges to help her down. She finally got close enough to the ground that she leapt and landed on the grass softly.

…..

Sebastian left Esme's room with a scowl on his face. She was a stubborn girl and it irritated him that she was somewhat of a mystery. In the past he had always been able to retrieve useful information about any given person but this girl was off the grid. He knew nothing about her other than that she was a demon that was keeping things secret. Sebastian didn't have time to deal with her shenanigans and was focused on his single goal: helping his young master achieve revenge on those who disgraced his family name. When that goal was complete he would have Ciel's desirable soul that he had been working so hard for.

Sebastian stopped when he heard a loud bang and sighed when he recognized that it was coming from the room he had just left. He approached the door and opened it only to see the window wide open. The butler glanced outside and caught sight of a figure retreating into the woods.

"What is she doing?" Sebastian muttered in an exhausted voice.

He turned and left the room to find Ciel who he still needed to put to bed. The young earl was waiting for him in his room and gave the demon butler a frown when he entered.

"And where have _you_ been?" Ciel questioned.

"Keeping an eye on our guest… who is now outside in the forest," Sebastian replied with a bow.

Ciel's eyes widened, "What? Why is she outside?"

"I'm not sure young master," Sebastian answered as he pulled Ciel's night clothes out of a nearby drawer.

"I don't want her escaping and revealing the fact that you're a demon to any of my enemies and I'm not done questioning her yet," Ciel said, "Bring her back."

"I highly doubt something like that would happen," Sebastian stated.

"Sebastian, that was an order."

"But young master, I'm not finished here," Sebastian told the earl.

Ciel scoffed, "I can put my night clothes on Sebastian, I'm not that incompetent!"

Sebastian smirked, "I wouldn't be so sure, I've seen you try and dress yourself… it's not-"

"Sebastian!" Ciel exclaimed.

The butler bowed, "Yes, my lord."

…..

Esme inhaled deeply as the fresh night air entered her lungs. It was quiet and peaceful outside. She was shocked at how calming it was on the countryside since she had spent her last few years in the noisy city. It was nice to hear crickets instead of people. She peered around a thick tree and saw a small rabbit nibbling on a blade of grass. She poised herself and burst forward with great speed. The rabbit didn't have time to move before it was in her grasp. She ended its life quickly and sat down on a nearby tree stump with her fresh prey. Ever since she had been bitten by the vampire bat demon she had refused to use something solely for the purpose of its blood. She hated what that demon had done to her and in a way she hated herself for having urges to devour humans for their blood. Esme had decided that she would get her blood through her hunting catches such as the rabbit she currently had in her hands. When she devoured it, she would consume the flesh as well as the blood inside of it which would calm her natural hunger and her hated hunger of blood at the same time.

Esme was different from other demons. Her parents had been brutally slaughtered when she was younger for their beliefs against harming humans. She had shared these beliefs and was cast out of the underworld. She had been alone for so long she had forgotten what it was like to be around others in such close quarters. She was an outcast because she couldn't fit in with demons, and at the same time couldn't fit in with humans. Her existence wouldn't end anytime soon either because of the incredibly, almost immortal like, lifespan of demons. Esme didn't like the idea of soul stealing demons that took advantage of humans in times of weakness so they could gain their souls for a quick meal. Sebastian seemed odd in a way to her because of his utter devotion to Ciel. She had always known the soul stealers to be manipulative and cheap, but Sebastian appeared to be the opposite, willing to work hard for something he really wanted. Overall she didn't care because she still viewed it as wrong. She began to devour her captured prey hungrily, unaware of the ruby pair of orbs that were watching her from a distance.

…

Sebastian watched the girl rip into the rabbit's flesh, mildly disgusted at the scene in front of him. It was so uncivilized and he didn't understand why she hadn't just told him she wanted something to eat earlier when he had asked. He would have been more than willing to get her something with a plate… and utensils. He knitted his eyebrows together and this his eyes widened slightly as he watched her behavior change. She was holding the creature up to her mouth and sucking. Realization dawned on him that the missing element in her diet had obviously been blood by the way she was desperately mouthing the carcass. But why did she need it? He didn't understand it and still was unaware of the type of demon she was.

"I know you're standing over there Sebastian."

The butler stood up rigidly, that was ridiculous, how could she know that he had been watching her? A breeze blew behind him and hit his back as he moved toward her slowly and he stopped walking. It was obvious now that his scent had given his presence away.

A dog? No, he wouldn't have it, he hated, no, he _despised_ dogs. They already had Pluto and he was _not_ going to have another mutt in the house. Sebastian boldly walked up to Esme who chewed on a rabbit bone contently. She glanced up at him as she picked her teeth with it.

"Are you some kind of canine?" Sebastian questioned with a disgusted expression.

Esme plucked the bone from her mouth, "I'm not a dog if that's what you're asking."

Sebastian scowled, he wasn't in the mood for games, "Then what are you?"

"A wolf," Esme replied, "What are you? If I may be so bold to ask."

"You may not," Sebastian turned his nose up and added, "I can't stand dogs."

"I'm not a dog," Esme growled back.

"Close enough, are you finished being a heathen? The young master wants you back inside."

"You don't have to be rude about it, I was going to go back," Esme said, standing up and walking by him.

Sebastian followed her and spoke clearly, "The next time you need something like _that_," he gestured to the bone that she was twiddling with her fingers, "Inform me and I will get you something so that in turn you don't have to behave in such a… barbaric manner."

"Eating little boys' souls isn't barbaric?" Esme questioned.

Sebastian frowned, "It's how I survive."

"This is how I survive, so how is that any more barbaric than what you do?"

The pair entered the Phantomhive estate and Sebastian led Esme back to her room where he entered ahead of her. He quickly closed the window and turned to face her.

"No more of this ridiculous behavior, I'll see you in the morning," Sebastian told her firmly.

"You're the one following me," Esme returned.

"I'm observing suspicious behavior, and I now know what it is that you are so deprived of in your diet," Sebastian said proudly.

Esme gasped, "What do you mean?"

"You need blood, and now that I know that you're a wolf, I'm not quite sure why you require it. I'm sure I'll find out eventually, good night."

Esme stared at the closed door with wide eyes. Sebastian Michaelis… it looked like he was going to give her a run for her money.


	3. Chapter 3

"We can use her as another guard for the mansion," Ciel said as Sebastian stared at him skeptically.

"I suppose…" the butler trailed off.

"I want you to keep her here, we're going to take advantage of her abilities. With two demons there will be no one who can match me," Ciel said.

"What would you have her do here?" Sebastian questioned.

"If she's anything like you… then I would say the possibilities are endless," Ciel replied.

Sebastian smiled, "Thank you for that my lord."

Ciel watched Sebastian exit the room and he looked over his shoulder. He was sitting in his office and watched the sun hover over the horizon as it rose. He glanced back down at the papers in front of him and went to work.

…

"We're going to test your skills," Sebastian said with a grin.

"Why?" Esme asked; glancing around the courtyard.

"To see what tasks would fit you best during your stay with us," Sebastian replied sincerely.

"I'm not very acrobatic…" she trailed off as the butler suddenly threw and array of silverware her way.

Esme side stepped and tried to duck frantically as knives and forks showered down on her. She put her hands over her head and hunched over. The attack stopped and she rose up hesitantly.

"What on earth…" Sebastian mumbled with a puzzled expression.

He pointed at a group of staggered statues on the lawn and turned back to Esme.

"Please navigate those."

"I just said I wasn't acrobatic," she grumbled and dragged herself to the stone statues.

Esme stared up at the statue in front of her and jumped up; grabbing ahold of it. Sebastian winced at her sloppy climbing and his eyebrow twitched as she finally made it to the top. He watched her sway off balance with a scowl on his face. Esme stiffly jumped to the top of the next statue and stumbled. As she fell she grabbed the side and clawed her way back up. She jumped to the next statue and came up short. She reached out with a yelp and desperately grabbed for the edge of the top.

"Enough, you're display is anything but graceful. It's painful to watch you," Sebastian said dryly.

"I _told_ you I'm not acrobatic. Also, I don't like heights and I don't like _climbing_ or _jumping _because they usually involve acrobatics or heights!" Esme exclaimed as she roughly slid down the side of the statue and hit the ground heavily.

"Are you positive you're a demon?" Sebastian questioned.

"Yes," Esme replied bitterly.

"What _are_ your assets then? Because I have yet to see them."

"I can sing… and I'm pretty good at dancing," Esme returned.

"Singing? That's interesting… and the dancing," Sebastian narrowed his eyes, "I've seen what kind of dancing you're good at."

Esme scowled, "I want to leave… when is that going to happen?"

"The young master wishes you to stay with us for a while, and I will comply with his orders. As long as he wants you here, you shall stay."

"And if I don't want to?"

Sebastian's eyes glowed in a demonic way, "What _you_ want doesn't matter."

Esme crossed her arms and thought. She guessed that Ciel wanted to use her in some way but had no idea how. She had been living on the streets so long it sounded appealing to have a home… especially one as elaborate as the Phantomhive mansion. It was odd being around another demon again but if she was able to get free food and a place to stay she was willing to put up with it.

"I'll stay…" she suddenly stated.

Sebastian smiled, "That's a good decision."

"Now, what are you going to have me do while I'm here?"

Sebastian put his finger to his chin and looked up at the sky in thought, "With your lack of grace… I don't want you near the kitchen, stairs, or where glassware is present."

Esme frowned, "Okay…"

"How would you feel about managing the library? And perhaps managing some of the finances?"

"You want me to look after books and do the bills?" Esme asked bluntly.

"Essentially… yes, if you can handle it that is," Sebastian confirmed.

"I'm pretty sure I can… but one thing," Esme said, "I'm not wearing a maid outfit, it's out of the question."

The corner of Sebastian's lip twitched, "You don't have suitable clothing… but I can try and find something that's suitable for a librarian."

"Thanks."

"Before we go in, are you good at anything physically? As a demon… you should be much more adept than a human but after what I just saw I'm having my doubts," Sebastian grimaced.

"I have good stamina and I'm pretty strong. I'm not incredibly quick, but I can outlast something that's faster than me with endurance," Esme replied.

"Hmm, I suppose that's something… now let's go inside so I can show you your new post," Sebastian ushered her back to the mansion's front door.

Esme followed Sebastian inside and up the stairs. They walked down a few halls until the butler halted and opened the door in front of him. She entered the large room which had walls lined with tall shelves that were filled with books. A giant golden chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling and there were comfy reading chairs arranged about the area. She noted a ladder that was on wheels which would allow access to the higher levels of the shelves. There was a desk at the other side of the room and Sebastian motioned to it.

"Here you are. Your job will consist of keeping these books arranged precisely in order and documenting them as they come in and out for use by the young master or anyone else. You will also be given small tasks involving finances which I will bring you… questions?" Sebastian asked.

Esme sat down in the chair behind the desk and it creaked. She looked up at the demon who was staring down at her with dark eyes.

"If I need to leave this room… how will I know where to go? It's like a maze in here."

"The washroom is down the hall, you'll find it. The kitchen, I don't want you to go near, I'll bring you something if you require it," Sebastian answered.

Esme nodded slowly.

"Well then, I have other duties that require my attention."

Esme watched him gracefully swivel away from her and exit the room. The door clicked closed and she watched it for moments after he left. It was dead quiet and her eyes went to the large window which showed the land behind the mansion. She glanced down at the desk in front of her and began opening the drawers. The top drawers held items such as notebooks and different writing utensils. She closed them and walked over to the immense collection of books.

"How are these organized?" Esme mumbled as she trailed her finger down a row of book spines.

She went back to the desk and grabbed paper and a quill. Esme pulled the ladder in front of her and began to climb it slowly. She started at the top row at book one and began recording the title, author, genre, and year it was published. She continued this process for hours before she noticed that it had grown dark outside. She was on the bottom row and finished her task, closing the book that she had written all the details in proudly. Esme grinned at the feeling of accomplishment and placed it carefully back in the desk. She exited the library and walked into a dark hallway.

"Sebastian…" she muttered as she started moving, "How the heck do I get back to my room?"

Esme's nose twitched and she started following her scent trail that was still floating from the morning. She finally stumbled upon her room and opened the door with a tired yawn. She walked into the washroom and prepared a hot bath for herself. As she started to take her clothes off she heard a knock on her door. Esme poked her head out of the bathroom and her eyes darted around hesitantly.

"I'm kind of busy…" she trailed off as the door opened.

She pulled the door close to her in an effort to shield herself as Sebastian walked into the room briskly.

"I've brought you some clothes to sleep in as well as to wear while you're here," he stated and placed the folded items neatly in the drawers of a nearby dresser.

"Thanks," Esme said; noticing that he didn't look at her.

"My young master has ordered me to tend to your needs… as an order I must comply, but as a demon I must say I detest it."

"I'm fine," Esme bit out and slammed the door shut in irritation.

She heard Sebastian let out a sigh and dunked herself in the hot water. She held her breath for a long period before resurfacing. Sebastian was such a jerk. She didn't like being in a house with another demon either but she didn't make a big deal out of it. It made her mad that he was the one forcing her to stay but was complaining about her presence at the same time. She imagined that she'd probably be a grumpy demon too if she hadn't had a soul to eat in a long time. She had no idea how long Sebastian had been serving Ciel but it was obvious he was hell bent on getting that boy's soul. Once again she was thankful that human souls weren't her diet. It was against everything she stood for because it involved hurting humans. She didn't need to hurt human's to survive and she lived by that. The only problem with this belief was that it had gotten her parents murdered and she had been cast out so she would never be able to fit in anywhere.

Esme wrapped a towel around herself and walked into the bedroom where she saw the moon from the window. A tiny sliver of white was in the sky and she quivered at the sight. The new moon was a problem for Esme because it meant that she couldn't draw as much demonic energy as normal. The moon was like her power source since she was a wolf. In its absence she still possessed her demonic powers but without it she was unable to maintain her current appearance. When her parents had been killed by other demons they had also mutilated and beaten her before casting her out. She had marring scars all over her body that never healed and was blind in her right eye. She attributed her terrible acrobatics and fear of heights to her half blindness because without two eyes she had no depth perception. She couldn't judge heights or jumps properly which made her extremely clumsy. The moon gave her extra energy to disguise all of the imperfections on her body and when it disappeared her past injuries became visible to others. Esme knew that the tiny sliver meant that the next night at the same time she'd be staring in the mirror at a horrendous figure covered in gruesome scars with only one eye. She refused to allow anyone to see her in such a state and knew that she'd have to find a way to keep Sebastian out of her room. If he saw her ugly appearance he'd definitely kick her back out on the street.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: No reviews yet? That kind of makes me sad… but I know that I have readers when I look at my traffic stats and followers :). I'm really enjoying writing this story so far and I hope you do too! You can always say how much you do through a review ;). I feel like this chapter is a bit slow, so I apologize in advance. **

The next day Esme found herself back in the library flipping through the list she had created the day before. She was wearing a plain black dress that hung straight and was easy to move around in. She was incredibly thankful that Sebastian hadn't brought her some ridiculous frilly thing to wear; she couldn't imagine trying to climb the ladder in one of those dresses. Tonight was the night of the new moon and Esme knew that she would have to retreat to her room early since her true appearance would show once the sun dipped below the horizon. She planned on locking the door to keep everyone out and if someone managed to get in she was going to high tail it out of her window. Esme was aware that the only person she needed to worry about was Sebastian because Ciel would never come knocking at her door. Her head shot up as a group of three came into the room.

"Who are you?" Esme asked with an interested expression.

"I'm Bardroy!" a gruff but handsome man said.

"Mey-Rin!" a girl with incredibly large glasses stated.

"And I'm Finnian, but you can call me Finny!" a boy with bright turquoise eyes exclaimed.

"We wanted to meet the newest servant!" Mey-Rin said excitedly.

"I'm not a servant…" Esme trailed off.

"What's your name?" Bardroy asked.

"Esme… so I guess you're all servants here, I was wondering when I would see someone else besides Sebastian."

"Oh yes!" Finny smiled brightly, "I'm the gardener! Bardroy is the chef, and Mey-Rin here is the maid!"

"Apparently I'm a librarian…" Esme told them with a shrug.

"Our master is very kind!" Mey-Rin said in an admiring way, "He treats us all so well!"

"Is Sebastian nice to you?"

The three servants paled slightly and Bardroy spoke, "Sebastian is a fantastic butler but to be honest, he scares us all a bit…"

The door flew open loudly and Sebastian stood in the doorway with a shadowed look over his face.

"What are you three doing? Shouldn't you be _working_?"

Esme watched as the three servants in front of her visibly shrank and scampered out of the room with small yelps. She turned her attention back to Sebastian as he closed the door softly and approached her.

"Are you adjusting well?" Sebastian questioned as he eyed the book in front of her.

Esme nodded cautiously and said nothing. She was extremely nervous about the night ahead of her because she needed to keep the demon standing in front of her _out_ of her room. After he busted into her room the previous night without a second thought… she gulped at the memory.

"Is something troubling you?" he asked from across the room as he inspected the shelves.

"No," Esme blurted quickly.

Sebastian turned and gave her a knowing smirk. She mentally smacked her forehead.

Sebastian swung around, "I'd like you to take an inventory of all of the books here."

Esme's eyebrows shot up and a slow grin spread across her face, "I already did."

A look of surprise appeared on the butler's face and he asked, "When?"

"Yesterday."

"Perhaps you're more capable than I imagined…" Sebastian noted.

Esme twiddled her thumbs awkwardly and Sebastian pulled out his pocket watch. He glanced at the time and closed it; the chain rustling as he put it back in his pocket.

"It's time for my master's afternoon tea… but he's asked me to retrieve some literature related to his studies from the city."

"Okay…" Esme trailed off, unsure what he was trying to say.

"As our new bookkeeper, I believe you should accompany me," he said.

"He's not coming?"

Sebastian frowned, "The young lord is a busy person and has prior obligations."

"Sure, as long as we're back before dusk," Esme replied worriedly.

"Why are you concerned about when we get back? There's nothing to rush back to… is there?" he asked her.

Esme squeezed her fists that were balled in her lap and she said shortly, "I guess not."

"Wonderful, now then, while I prepare the tea, could you prepare the carriage?" Sebastian inquired.

Esme stared at him blankly.

"Never mind…" he trailed off, "You're quite incompetent."

…..

Esme watched with her jaw open slightly as Sebastian moved around at a demonic rate. He put tack on both horses and had them hitched to the carriage in minutes. He stared down at her with his ruby eyes from the driver's bench. The corner of his mouth twitched in irritation and he patted the open bench next to him.

"Come now, I don't want to be late for dinner preparations."

Esme sat down with Sebastian at her right uncomfortably. She hated when people were on her blindside… especially when said person was another demon. She turned her head and eyed him suspiciously as the horses moved forward. They rode in silence and she contemplated what she would do if they didn't make it back before dusk. Esme glanced over at Sebastian who was wearing his black overcoat and black gloves with a relaxed expression on his face.

"Why do you hate dogs?" Esme suddenly asked.

Sebastian's eyebrows shot up and he gave her a smirk, "What is there to like about them? They're quite vile creatures."

"They're loyal, protective, noble, and a lot of other things! Much better than a silly cat!" Esme exclaimed.

"More reasons why I dislike them… felines are much more preferable. Their beautiful silky coats, soft pink pads…" Sebastian said in a dreamy voice.

"Crazy cat butler…" Esme mumbled.

The carriage arrived in town and the pair left it to walk the city streets. Esme looked around with wide green eyes at the city during the day time. For years she had been used to roaming it at night and sleeping in the day. It was strange to be back; especially with another demon and a home to return to.

"What kind of books are we getting?" Esme asked Sebastian as she followed the butler into the store.

"The young master wanted an Edgar Allen Poe piece as well as a few history books that pertain to his studies."

"Who teaches him?"

Sebastian scanned the shelves, "He has tutors that teach him a variety of subjects."

Esme nodded and eyed the wide array of books. She began pulling out different hardcovers and examining the contents intently. Sebastian watched her from the corner of his eye and then continued his search. He smiled as his gloved fingers brushed over the spine of the book he was looking for. He held it out and Esme grabbed it quickly as he continued his search.

"The Raven…"Esme stated out loud, reading one of the titles in the contents of the book.

Sebastian ignored her as he found the last two books and pulled out a bag of coins from his overcoat's pocket.

"You know… you kind of remind me of a raven. With that tailcoat and all of the black you wear, not to mention other things," Esme stated as they approached the checkout counter.

Sebastian roughly snatched the book from her hands and closed it. He placed it on top of the other two books which were on the counter. He handed the cashier the bag of coins and grabbed the stack of books.

"Keep the change," he told the bookkeeper.

They exited the store and Sebastian pushed the stack into Esme's arms. He pulled out his pocket watched and checked it quickly.

"Yoo hoo! Bassy!"

Esme saw Sebastian visibly cringe as a voice rang out from the dark alley next to them.

"I don't have time for this…" Sebastian grumbled.

"Who is that? Do you know them?" Esme asked as she looked around with a confused expression.

"Grell Sutcliff… a shinigami," Sebastian practically hissed out.

He side stepped as a bright red blur flew at the spot he had previously been standing. The air rushed by Esme, her hair blowing around her face. Her eyebrows shot up as soon as she laid eyes on Grell who had hit the ground. The grim reaper stared up at her over his glasses and fixed his hair quickly.

"Bassy, who is this?!" Grell exclaimed in an offended voice.

Sebastian put his face in his gloved hand, "I don't have time for this," he repeated.

Grell sized Esme up, "I don't know who _you_ are or why you're with my Bassy, but he's _mine_!"

Esme shrugged, "That's fine, I can't stand him so he's all yours."

"What?! Can't stand him?! Look at him! He's perfect! That tall lean form, beautiful physique, and his sexiness!" Grell proclaimed.

Esme and Sebastian both wrinkled their noses.

"Stop, you're being repulsive," Sebastian stated.

"I have some souls to collect this evening and it's absolutely perfect that I was able to run into you! Star crossed lovers able to see each other once again!" Grell exclaimed, folding his hands and looking to the sky romantically.

Esme glanced at Sebastian bizarrely and Grell pointed at her, "Don't you dare try and wreck our relationship!"

"I don't plan on it," Esme said and then told Sebastian, "We really should be going."

The demon's eyes met hers, "Your fascination with getting back to the mansion before dusk is intriguing."

"I'm not fascinated with it! I just… wanted to go to bed early tonight, I'm really tired!" Esme sputtered out.

Grell ran his gloved fingers through his red hair, "Well Bassy, I must be on my way, I have work to do."

Sebastian shrank as the grim reaper blew him a kiss and disappeared into the dark shadows of the alley. Esme pursed her lips as she tried not to laugh and followed the disturbed butler back to the carriage.

"I didn't know you were so close with that grim reaper," Esme said as the carriage started moving.

Sebastian looked disgusted, "I am _not_."

Esme felt the irritation coming off of him in waves and looked at the sun which was quickly approaching the horizon. She was quiet for a few moments before the demon next to her spoke.

"You haven't eaten since the day you arrived…" Sebastian said, "Isn't that a problem?"

Esme frowned, "I guess I haven't really thought about it. I'm alright though, if I need something I'll be sure to let you know."

Sebastian sighed and said nothing. The mansion appeared in the distance and Esme fidgeted as they got closer. Before the carriage had even stopped Esme leapt off and ran to the front door.

She waved to Sebastian, "I'll take the books in, see you tomorrow," and entered the mansion quickly.

He pulled the carriage around to the stables and unhitched the horses; leading them inside.

The demon frowned, "How odd," he trailed off as he started stripping the tack from the horses and placing them in their stalls.

He thought as approached the mansion and decided he was going to find out what she was hiding. She had been restless the entire day and the way she had been so concerned with time was strange. The mansion at night was Sebastian's favorite time because he could do as he pleased without worrying about being interrupted and hassled by the others.

"Sebastian."

The butler bowed to his master as he entered the office.

"I take it you retrieved what I asked?" Ciel questioned.

"Yes indeed, now allow me to start dinner preparations. I apologize for returning so late, I experienced a minor delay," Sebastian said as images of an over exuberant Grell danced through his mind.

Sebastian left his master and arrived in the kitchen where he allowed his hands to take over as he prepared a lavish meal. His mind drifted and he concocted a plan. Busting into Esme's room was too easy, anyone could do it. Sebastian had much more class and he decided that he'd do something more elaborate. She hadn't eaten in days… so he'd bring her something, whether she wanted it or not.


	5. Chapter 5

Esme grunted in disgust as she looked down at her arm where a few deep scars were carved into the skin. She stared out her window at the pitch black sky and touched the eyelid over her right eye. She turned and walked to the restroom where she saw herself in the mirror. Her left eye was its regular emerald green while the right eye was covered by her lid which bore a slashed scar. She was in her night gown and could see the imperfections covering her entire body through the thin fabric. She hated that this was how she truly looked and felt that when she walked around with it hidden that she was lying to everyone around her. Esme never wanted anyone to see her like this so it was a lie that she was willing to bear. Her appearance was also a reminder that her parents were dead and that she was forever destined to be alone. Demons didn't want her because of her beliefs about not harming humans and humans didn't want her because she was a monster to them.

She turned to her bed and slid underneath the sheets; covering her head. Her eyes closed and she tried to drift to sleep.

….

Sebastian watched his master with a pleased expression as Ciel cleaned his dinner plate. He cleared away the dishes and glanced over at Mey-Rin as he did so. Her cheeks lit up bright red under his gaze and she adjusted her large glasses nervously.

"Mey-Rin, please take these to the kitchen, don't worry about washing them. I'll do it later," Sebastian told her as he guided Ciel toward the hallway.

"Yes!" Mey-Rin sputtered out.

Ciel brushed Sebastian off and walked to his room. He entered and began unbuttoning his jacket. Sebastian followed closely behind with a candelabrum lit and burning brightly. They wordlessly went about their business as Sebastian removed the rest of his master's clothing and put him in his night clothes.

"Do you require anything else young master?" Sebastian questioned.

Ciel put his head on his pillow, "No, that will be all."

"Goodnight then," the butler said as he left the room with the lit candles.

He made his way over to Esme's room and walked by the door; listening intently but it was silent. He frowned and returned to the kitchen where a mountain of unclean dishes was stacked haphazardly. He shrugged off his tailcoat and rolled up the sleeves to his undershirt as he stepped up to the sink. Sebastian sighed and began cleaning each dish individually under the hot water of the faucet. When he finished the job he pulled out his pocket watch and noted that it was around midnight. The watch closed with a click and the demon slid it back into his pocket. He grabbed his tailcoat and put it back on, buttoning each button quickly and straightening his tie.

….

Esme's nose twitched and her eyes fluttered open. She didn't move and felt dazed. A soft knock came from the other side of the door and suddenly her mind was clear. She shot upright like an arrow and her eyes grew wide with horror.

"Who is it?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"Why have you locked this door?" came a voice from the other side.

Her heart dropped because she knew exactly who it belonged to.

"I've brought you something, unlock the door," Sebastian ordered.

"I don't need anything, just leave me alone, I'll see you in the morning," Esme replied.

Her eyes grew wide as she saw the door tremble and with a booming crash it was in the floor leaving a smiling Sebastian standing in the doorway. Esme immediately pulled the covers over her head and squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

Sebastian's eyes went to the door and he frowned, "I suppose that was a bit rash…"

"Please leave!" Esme exclaimed from underneath the sheets.

Sebastian placed the tray he was carrying on top of a nearby dresser. He crouched down and lifted the door easily from the ground; placing it back in its frame. He adjusted it and brushed his gloved hands together in a satisfied manner. He turned and eyed the bed where a lump stood up in the middle.

"It's quite rude to ignore someone who has brought you dinner," Sebastian stated, approaching the bed slowly.

Esme's fingers tightened around the sheets and she pulled them down over herself firmly. Sebastian grabbed the sheets and pulled on them. His eyebrows shot up as they stayed wrapped around the figure in front of him.

"Stop being childish," Sebastian said, his voice growing irritated as he continued to try and pull the covers off.

Esme clenched her jaw and braced herself every time he yanked the fabric surrounding her.

"Sebastian, whatever you brought," she gritted her teeth with the next phrase, "Thank you… you can leave it and please _go_."

The butler huffed and a smirk formed across his face, "Very well."

Sebastian walked to the door and opened it. He stepped outside but slid back into the room quickly as he shut the door. He folded his arms and waited in the shadows of the corner for the girl in front of him to reveal herself. He waited for long moments until he saw her head poke out. His eyes glinted in the darkness and he saw her notice the tray that he had placed on the dresser earlier. Slowly she emerged from the bed and Sebastian's eyes widened at what he saw. A body marred with hideous scars that seemed to cover every part of her skin. She made her way to the tray and the silver clinked as she moved it around. She hungrily started eating the raw meal he had prepared and brought to the room. Sebastian moved with fluid grace and speed. He came up behind her and wrapped one arm around her waist and the other he wrapped around her collarbone and shoulders. The dish carrying Esme's meal clattered noisily to the ground and the female demon let out a screech.

"Hush now, my master is sleeping," Sebastian whispered with a sly smirk.

Esme thrashed about wildly and Sebastian grunted as he tried to keep her restrained.

"Quite energetic this evening I see… now what are all of these scars? I don't believe I've seen them before," he said to her.

"It's none of your business! I told you to leave!" Esme snapped back angrily.

Sebastian glanced at the window where it was pitch black outside.

"I think I understand why you were so concerned with the time… are these scars related to the cycle of the moon?" he asked.

When he looked down at her face he was shocked to see her right eye closed and covered with a jagged slashing scar.

"Get off!" she growled as she squirmed wildly.

Sebastian released her and she tumbled forward. Esme hit the ground and flipped over, glaring at the demon butler with an angry eye.

Sebastian tapped his gloved finger to his chin and asked, "You seem on edge, how long has it been since you've had any form of blood in your diet?"

Esme darted forward and slashed at him with her hands. Sebastian side stepped and narrowed his eyes when he heard the sound of fabric ripping. He looked down to see his sleeve torn and a small line of red forming on his forearm.

He let out a sigh, "How I hate when my clothes are ruined."

The butler held his arm up and eyed the tear, "I believe I can mend this, it's quite minor."

Sebastian suddenly stopped moving and noticed that Esme had moved to the opposite side of the room as though she was trying to avoid him. She had her back pressed against the wall and was watching him warily. He sniffed the air and could smell the tiny odor of blood from his cut. His eyes shot back to hers and a smile spread across his lips. He started walking toward her and Esme's eyes shot side to side, looking for an escape.

"Do you find the scent of my blood… tantalizing?" Sebastian questioned teasingly.

Esme's eyes glowed demonically and she shook her head, "No, now get out of my room."

"This is my master's mansion and therefore this is his room, not _yours_. I don't have to do anything unless he orders it," Sebastian replied.

He held his arm out and slowly leaned forward. Esme reached out quickly to grab it but Sebastian yanked it back out of her grasp.

"If I give you this, what will you do in return for me?"

"I don't want _your_ blood, I'm telling you to _leave_!"

Sebastian chuckled, "You're saying one thing, but your body obviously wants the opposite."

"Stop teasing me, you're cruel! Looking at me in my most vulnerable state and taking advantage me!" Esme exclaimed.

"You think this is cruel? You've seen nothing… and taking advantage of you? If I wanted to take advantage of you I'd force you into submission and make you obey every command I gave you like the dog you are," Sebastian told her darkly.

Esme flinched and remained quiet.

"What are these scars from?"

"Don't you find them repulsive?" Esme asked, "Everyone does."

"My true form is far more repulsive," Sebastian replied simply.

"What does it look like?" Esme questioned, slightly curious.

"You'll never know, no one will, not even my master."

Esme touched her right eye and winced as she felt the indentation in her skin.

"It's rude not to answer a question that's been asked," Sebastian said, expectantly staring at her.

"You'll never know," Esme replied shortly, repeating his earlier response to her own question.

Sebastian held his arm out and she grabbed it hastily. Her lips forcefully covered the cut on his forearm and she sucked desperately at it. After several moments there was nothing left and she pulled back, looking up at him.

"Satisfied?" he asked with a smirk.

"I suppose it's better than a rabbit," Esme shrugged.

Sebastian roughly shoved her against the wall, "Don't insult me. I still can't stand the idea of having a _dog_ in this house. You're repulsive in every way… you should be sleeping outside."

He backed away from her, "The only reason I'm tolerating you is because my master ordered it."

Esme watched him leave the room and shut the door behind him.

"What the heck is his problem?" Esme growled.

Sebastian seemed a bit dark, but harmless when he was with everyone else. He made Esme extremely nervous because it seemed like every time they were alone together he wanted to rip her to shreds and was barely restraining himself. She had no idea why he seemed to dislike her so much… was it the fact she was a demon? Or the fact Ciel had ordered him to make sure she was taken care of while she was staying with them? Still, she was grateful that he had seemed to be un-phased by her scars and appearance. In the past, anyone who had seen her on the night of the new moon had run away in pure terror. Esme cleaned the fallen tray from the ground and slid back into bed. She didn't bother pulling the covers over her head because she knew that no one else would bother her that night.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: In the manga Prince Soma and Agni are 'managing' Ciel's townhouse, so that's why they are going to be there in this story. I just wanted to throw that out there since it's not really talked about in the anime! This is an extra-long chapter, enjoy!**

The next day Esme found herself back at her post in the library. She recorded and placed the new books that she had brought back yesterday with Sebastian. She climbed up the ladder and pulled at the shelf and the ladder's wheels moved below her. She slid down the room and ran her finger over the spines and pulled out what she was looking for with a satisfied smirk. With her job being pretty laid back Esme decided she was going to read most, if not all, of the books present in the library during her stay. There was a light knock on the door and she glanced over her shoulder; gripping the sides of the ladder. The door opened slowly and Finny poked his head into the room with a sheepish grin.

"Hello!" he grinned at her.

"Hi," Esme replied with a blank look, "Do you need something?"

Finny took a couple of short steps into room and played with his hat tied around his neck.

"I need your help…"

Esme stepped down from the ladder and tapped the book she was holding against her shoulder, "With what?"

...

"Please help her!"

Esme looked up at a gigantic and old tree where a small white speck was high up in the limbs. She looked over at Finny with narrowed eyes and a frown.

"Is this a joke? You want me to save a cat?"

"I can't!" Finny wailed, "I'll knock the entire tree down and hurt her!"

"Why didn't you ask Sebastian? He seems… rather acrobatic, and he likes cats too," Esme replied.

"He'd be angry with me!" Finny replied with a serious face, "If Sebastian knew I wasn't working…" he trailed off with a horrified expression.

"Alright, alright!" Esme motioned him to stop talking, "I'll try to get it down… speaking of mean butlers, where _is_ Sebastian?"

Finny glanced over at the mansion, "He's cleaning, doing his daily sweep of all the rooms. Then he has to serve master Ciel his afternoon tea, we have time while he's distracted!"

Esme's eye twitched and she punched the trunk of the old tree. Finny let out a yelp as vibrations pulsed up through the limbs.

"What are you doing?! You'll make her fall!"

"Good thing cats always land on their feet," Esme grumbled.

"Can't you climb up there? She's probably scared!" Finny pleaded, grabbing Esme's sleeve of her dress.

She rolled her eyes, "_Fine_."

It was a gorgeous day outside with clear blue skies and the birds were chirping cheerfully. Esme squinted up at the tree and gritted her teeth. Out of everything on the planet he just _had_ to ask her to rescue a _cat_ and climb up a tree to a very high _height_. Going up wasn't the problem and Esme's stomach churned at the thought of coming back down. Falling from heights frightened her and not having good depth perception made everything worse. Her eyes went to Finny who was staring at her with a desperate expression. Esme let out a huff and began climbing the tree. The bark was gnarly and rough with age and pieces fell as she pulled herself up higher into the limbs. Esme kept her eyes up and focused on the cat whose form was growing larger as she got closer to it.

"My, my, what _is_ she doing?"

"There's a kitten stuck up there!" Finny replied to the question with a grin.

His face immediately fell and he slowly turned to see Sebastian looming over him with a small smirk.

"A kitten?" Sebastian questioned, "How did it manage to get up there… and _why _are you standing around when there's _work_ to be done?"

Finny shrank, "I'll get on it right away!"

Sebastian watched him retreat and turned his attention back to the tree. He crossed his arms and tapped his polished shoe on the ground with impatience.

"Almost there," Esme mumbled as she was within reach of feline.

She put her hand out and grabbed for the animal which hissed at her. It swiped at her with claws and scratched her hand. Esme wrinkled her nose and she jerked back as blood started to seep through the scratches.

"I'm trying to help you… stupid cat," Esme snapped, climbing up a few inches further.

She grabbed at it swiftly and captured the scruff of its neck in her left hand.

"Okay, now that I've got you…" Esme said slowly.

She didn't move and quickly realized that without her left hand it was going to be extremely difficult to get back down. She continued to hold the cat away from her body, afraid it would lash out at her again.

"Maybe I can slide down," she said, refusing to look down at the ground.

Esme squeezed her thighs tightly against the trunk of the tree and kept her right arm wrapped around it as well. Slowly she relaxed and tensed her thighs; sliding down a few inches every time she did so. Esme blew through her lips as the bark dug into her skin. It felt like an eternity that she had been sliding down and the skin of her inner thighs was raw and bleeding from the rough bark cutting into her. The cat stared at her and whipped its tail in irritation.

"Finny! How much further do I have?" Esme called out.

"Not far, but I do say, your dress is quite inappropriate at the moment."

Esme's eyes widened and her heart started pounding as she fought the urge to look down.

"Sebastian! Get up here and take this cat!" she yelled at him.

He shrugged below her, "I'm merely observing, I'm not part of this rescue mission."

Esme's eyebrows knitted together. It was impossible to fix her dress which she could feel riding up by her hips as she continued to make her way down.

"Observing what's under my dress… that's what you're doing," Esme snapped at him.

Sebastian stared up at her shamelessly, "What if I am? With your previous occupation…"

"Stop it!" Esme spat, sliding down a bit further.

She listened to the loudness of the butler's voice and realized that she was getting much closer to the ground. She'd have to keep him talking to gage when it would be safe to jump down.

"Where did Finny go?"

"To the courtyard to trim the hedges… where he should have been all day," Sebastian replied.

"He said you'd be too busy to know we were doing this," she told him.

Sebastian chuckled lightly, "You're both idiots if you think I wouldn't realize that you were both absent from your regular posts. Also… you two were making quite a racket out here."

Esme let go of the tree and landed on the ground with a rigid posture. She turned and shoved the cat into Sebastian's arms. He cradled the cat and his eyes sparkled at the creature staring back at him.

"I'll leave you two alone, I need to go lick my wounds from this excursion," Esme said as she walked stiffly away from the butler.

Sebastian's eyebrow perked up, "Lick your wounds?"

"It's a figure of speech! I'm not actually going to!"

Sebastian shrugged, "Given your true identity… I wouldn't put it past you."

"I'm sick of you! Leave me alone!"

Sebastian ignored her and cooed to the cat in his arms softly. It purred and rubbed against his chest with a content expression.

"Why can't everything be as perfect as you?" he asked the white feline with deep eyes.

The cat meowed in response and Sebastian frowned, "It's too bad the young master is allergic to cats…"

…

"Sebastian! Where have you been?" Ciel asked as he glanced up from paperwork on his desk.

"A minor disturbance… It's been resolved," Sebastian replied.

"We're going to the townhouse tomorrow," Ciel stated, "Make the proper preparations."

Sebastian bowed, "Of course, but may I ask why?"

Ciel held up a letter, "A string of kidnappings involving young women. The bodies are turning up all over London, once a body appears another victim is taken. I need to ease the queen's worries and stop these murders. Apparently the victims are tortured for quite some time before they are actually killed."

"How do you plan on going about looking into this?" Sebastian questioned as he placed a plate with a decorated piece of cake in front of the earl.

Ciel picked up the fork next to the plate and watched as Sebastian carefully poured tea; placing it by the cake.

"Our newest member hasn't earned her keep. If you stay at my mansion you _work_," Ciel said.

"What more would you have her do?" Sebastian asked with a frown as he adjusted the tea set on his rolling cart.

"She's going to be our bait. Once she's been kidnapped we'll find out where these women are being taken and then we'll find the culprit," Ciel explained.

Sebastian stared at the earl and cleared his empty plate and tea cup.

"Should I pack for her as well then?"

Ciel waved his hand in boredom, "Yes, because if you don't then she'll complain. On top of that if we arrive and she has nothing that annoying prince won't leave me alone for mistreating someone."

Sebastian gave a small smile at the thought of Prince Soma aggravating the small earl with his loud speech and expressive actions.

"What are you grinning about?" Ciel asked heatedly.

"Nothing my lord, shall I prepare you for bed?"

Ciel grumbled and rolled his eyes, "Yes."

….

That evening Esme hissed as she slid into the steaming water of her bath. The soapy water hit the raw skin of her inner thighs and she felt like someone was holding a torch between her legs.

"Stupid cat," she spat as she cleaned the dried blood from the scratch marks on her hand.

She perked up as she heard a knock and a creak as her room door opened. Esme turned and stared at her closed bathroom door.

"I'm in the tub," she said cautiously.

The door flew open and she dunked herself into the water quickly. Her eyes shot open as she felt someone grab her hair and pull her up. She coughed and sputtered as she tried to open her eyes. The soap stung and she swatted at the hand still holding her hair.

"You're leaving with us tomorrow."

Esme saw Sebastian staring down at her with a blank expression.

"Why do you keep coming into my room at the most _inappropriate _times?!" Esme shouted heatedly.

"I've told you before, it's not your room."

Esme cringed and sunk down into the water so it covered her up to her collar bone. She felt slightly frightened at the way Sebastian was staring at her. To be honest, he looked like he wanted to rip her up into tiny little pieces at the moment. She scowled back at him, it was a perfect example of him being somewhat civil to her one moment and then hating her guts the next moment. She didn't know if he hated or tolerated her… maybe both. She didn't hate him, but she didn't like him either, especially when he was being a jerk to her.

"You can leave now," Esme said, "Your message was delivered loud and clear… see you tomorrow."

Sebastian curled his lip, "I despise the idea of you coming to the townhouse… but once again I'm bound to my master's wishes."

Esme stared up at him, "Well… I don't really like the idea of you staring at me when I'm trying to take a bath and clean up my tree trunk burns. It's weird."

"Let me see them," he stated.

Esme gasped, "What? No!"

Sebastian tossed his head and ran his gloved fingers through his black hair. He grabbed a nearby robe and threw it at her. She awkwardly caught it with one hand and he left the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Esme scrambled out of the tub clumsily and dried herself off. She put the robe on and tied the satin belt around her waist. She warily stepped out of the steam filled room into her bedroom where Sebastian was standing at her window staring out at the moon. He turned slightly and nodded at the bed. Esme said nothing and sat down, her back against the headboard. She stared at him with sharp and cautious eyes as he approached her.

"Let me see," he repeated, nodding at her thighs.

"They'll be gone tomorrow, I'm not a human you know," Esme said with flushed cheeks.

She touched her face and felt how warm it was.

'It's from the hot bathwater and the steam…' she thought, trying to convince herself, as she stared at Sebastian whose face was getting increasingly closer to hers.

She watched as he removed one of his gloves using his teeth. The material slid smoothly off and her eyes grew wide as they saw a contract symbol tattooed on the back of his hand. She noted the black fingernail polish as he reached for the bottom of her robe. Esme clenched her jaw tightly as he slid the thin material up and exposed her bright red and agitated skin. Out of nowhere he suddenly had antiseptic and ointment.

"I didn't see you bring that in," Esme stated in a low tone.

She exhaled sharply as he applied the antiseptic which burned sharply.

Sebastian smirked, "That's because I'm one _hell_ of a butler."

Esme sighed in relief as he put on the soothing ointment which immediately stopped the burning. She stared at the top of his head below her as he finished his application and didn't know what to think. He could be extremely nasty to her but at the moment he was being almost… kind. Esme shuddered at the thought of Sebastian and 'kindness' being paired together, it was impossible.

"Did your master order you to do this too?" she found herself asking him.

Sebastian stood up and glanced down at her with blazing ruby eyes, "No, he did not."

Esme's eyebrows shot up in surprise at his answer and she didn't say anything.

"Now then, I've collected some of your belongings to take for our trip tomorrow. Don't worry about packing anything, it's taken care of," he told her.

Esme nodded slowly and watched him swiftly exit the room. She got off her bed and made her way back to the bathroom where she slid into her nightgown. Esme returned to her bed and got under the covers. She let out a content sigh as the burning from her inner thighs had disappeared. She closed her eyes and fell asleep, wondering what was in store for her the next day.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: To lulubibi: Thanks for your reviews :) And you totally read my mind, I was planning on putting a third person into this! I'm almost finished reading the manga, and personally I think Prince Soma is amazing. Hint hint haha, the manga paints him in a bit of a different and much more likeable light I think. And don't worry, she's not head over heels for Sebastian at all. Esme was just surprised as to the way he acted last chapter, he'll have to do multiple things much better than that to get her. Also, to everyone, keep in mind this is a Romance/Angst story, so this isn't going to be the normal lovebird couple… it'll more be linked to lust, pleasure… that kind of thing, but you never know, that kind of stuff can turn into something more ;) **

**Now on with the story! Thanks for the encouraging reviews!**

Esme jumped when a loud bang woke her from her sound sleep. She sat up and looked out her window where the horizon was dimly lit as the sun was starting to rise. She rubbed her eyes and glanced down; pulling up her night gown slightly. Her wounds from the previous day were untraceable and her skin had returned to its smooth healthy state. Esme went into the bathroom where she quickly brushed her dark brown hair straight. She found one of her plain black dresses and slid it on with a pair of simple pumps. She brushed her teeth quickly and exited her room. Her eyes glanced around the long hall until they landed on Sebastian who was a distance away from her. Esme saw him give her a curt nod to follow him and she took hurried steps to get to him.

"I thought I was going to have to drag you down here," Sebastian stated dryly as they went down a flight of stairs.

Esme said nothing and rolled her eyes as they met up with Ciel who was leaning on his cane in front of the main entrance of the manor. He scowled at her and turned to his butler and impatiently adjusted his top hat.

"Let's be on our way."

Sebastian bowed, placing his gloved hand over his heart, "Yes, my lord."

Esme turned to see the other servants watching them with frowns.

"We'll miss you!" Finny said with tears welling up and his hands clasped together tightly.

"Be safe young master!" Mey-Rin exclaimed.

"I'm leaving the manor in your hands, I'm counting on all of you," Ciel told them in a stern voice.

All of the servants went rigid and stood up straight while saluting him, "Yes, my lord!"

Ciel swiveled around, "Let's go Sebastian."

Esme waved at the other servants and followed the butler and earl out the front door. Once outside she saw the carriage waiting for them with two restless bay horses. Sebastian opened the carriage door and helped the earl step inside. Esme slowly approached them only to have the door slammed shut in her face.

"What was that for?" she growled at Sebastian.

He glared down at her, "You're not riding inside."

Esme's eye twitched, "Am I walking or something?"

"You _should_ be, however, no, you'll be sitting with me on the driver's bench."

"_Again_?" Esme moaned, thinking of their awkward trip into town to get Ciel's books.

"I could always tie you down to the roof of the carriage if you prefer… and tape that smart mouth shut as well," Sebastian replied with a frown as he adjusted his black overcoat.

Esme crossed her arms, "Fine, whatever."

She started to head for the steps leading up to the bench but was cut off as Sebastian walked in front of her. He elegantly went up the stairs and sat down; reaching forward to take the reins.

"Come along, you're holding us up," he told her.

Esme clenched her fists tightly but said nothing and stomped up the steps. She sat down with a huff and crossed her legs, looking in the opposite direction. The cart moved forward and the wheels crunched against the gravel drive.

"Behave yourself on this trip, or I'll _punish_ you severely," Sebastian stated after they had been on the road for a while.

Esme glanced over at him, "If you're so worried about how I'll act why did you bring me along? You could have left me with everyone else."

"I'm obeying my master's wishes," Sebastian replied dryly.

Esme crossed her arms. She was getting really tired of hearing him say he did _everything_ because his _master_ ordered him to.

"You should have worn a coat, it's going to get quite cool up here," Sebastian said which snapped Esme out of her thoughts.

She glanced down at her arms which had tiny goose bumps on them.

"I'm fine," she stated.

"Suit yourself," Sebastian shrugged and snapped the reins, ordering the horses to go faster.

…..

"**Ciel**!"

Esme's eyebrows shot up as a pair of individuals shot out of the townhouse and sprinted toward the carriage. Sebastian leapt down off of the bench and rushed to the carriage door where a handsome Indian teenager was trying to force his way in. She watched as another Indian, who was older and very tall, tried to control him as Ciel was helped down the stairs to the ground.

"Ciel, I've missed you!" he exclaimed and wrapped the small earl in his arms in a tight embrace.

"Prince Soma! Be gentle!"

"Get off of me!" Ciel snapped, trying to fight the teen off.

Tears started running down Soma's cheeks, "But it's been so long!"

"Ugh! Sebastian! Get my things inside! And get this idiot off of me!"

Sebastian smirked and bowed, "Do you have a preference as to which I do first?"

"Get him off of me!" Ciel snarled.

"Agni, do you mind?" Sebastian said to the man next to him.

"Not at all, my prince, please let Ciel go," Agni said in a gentle voice, reaching toward him.

"Fear not, we will be staying for a few days, you'll be able to see my young master as much as you please," Sebastian announced with a smile.

Ciel glared daggers at his butler while Soma stared at him with admiration.

"What do you want me to do?" Esme asked in a small voice.

Everyone turned to look at her and Ciel adjusted his crooked hat, "Oh, I forgot you were here. Sebastian will show you to your room."

"Ciel! Who is this lovely young lady?" Soma asked the earl.

"She's my servant, there's no need for introductions," Ciel replied.

Soma slid to a stop in front of Esme and took her hand, "Of course there is! Hello! My name is Soma Asman Kadar! I'm the prince of Bengal!" he said in a loud exuberant voice.

Agni sighed in defeat, knowing there was no way to get his master under control. Esme stared at the prince for a few seconds before realizing she should say something back.

"Hello… my name is Esme," she said in a quiet voice.

Esme was intrigued by the prince's appearance. It was the first time that she had seen such a dark complexion in her ventures. His skin was a warm brown and his eyes were a deep gold. His hair was also an odd plum color. She marveled at his decorative clothing where he had on an embroidered sherwani and churidars for trousers. He had in gold earrings and a variety of jewelry around his neck, wrists, and ankles.

"What a pretty lady! _Ciel_! Why do you dress her so poorly?" Soma asked, turning to eye the earl.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Ciel growled back.

Soma ignored the earl and faced Agni, "I know what I'm doing for the evening! Agni we shall turn her into a goddess!"

Agni bowed, "Yes of course!"

"You can do what you want to her, as long as it keeps you busy and out of my business I don't care," Ciel said, entering the townhouse and closing the door.

Sebastian followed closely behind with the luggage balanced in a stack. Esme started to walk but realized that Soma was still holding on to her. She turned and faced him with an embarrassed expression.

Soma grinned at her, "I'm so glad Ciel brought another person with him! A beautiful woman nonetheless! But this black dress doesn't fit your appearance, you should be glowing! Tonight I'll make that happen!"

Esme's eye twitched. Was this guy crazy? Should she turn around now and run back to the manor where she knew it was safe? She stared at the prince who danced around her and sighed. At least he wasn't a jerk like Sebastian who said mean things to her and made her feel insignificant. The door flew open and Sebastian trotted down the steps to the carriage where he led the horses to the stable. Esme watched the back of the carriage disappear around the corner and followed the prince and Agni inside. A warm fire was crackling and she smiled. The townhouse felt much homier than the manor did, it wasn't big and haughty feeling.

"Where's my room?" Esme wondered out loud.

"She can room with me!" Soma exclaimed.

"Absolutely _not_."

Esme looked to Ciel who was standing at the top of the stairs staring down at them leaning on his cane. The front door closed and Sebastian loomed behind them.

"Sebastian, take her to her room, and make sure the _prince_ doesn't decide to sneak in during the night," Ciel ordered as he turned and walked into a different room.

Sebastian bowed and grabbed Esme's arm.

"Hey! There's no need for that!" she yanked her arm from his grasp forcefully.

"You're being stupid," Sebastian stated as she followed him up the stairs.

"How? I haven't done anything."

"Letting that boy fawn over you…" he trailed off as he stopped in front of a door down the hall.

Sebastian produced a key from his pocket and inserted it. The door opened with a creak and he flipped on the light. It was a much smaller room than the one she occupied at the manor but it felt cozier. The bed was a single with soft pink sheets. There was a dresser and closet but the rest of the room was empty.

"Where's the bathroom?" Esme questioned.

Sebastian smirked, "Unfortunately at the townhouse there are not washrooms for each guest. You'll have to _share_."

"Okay, as long as it's not with you," Esme shrugged and started to move around the room.

Sebastian frowned and clenched his jaw. He stared at her back with a heated glare and his eyes glowed slightly.

"Well then… I need to tend to the young master, have fun playing dress up with the _prince_."

Esme didn't turn around to watch him leave and ignored him. She started opening her closet and dresser drawers to inspect them. She jumped when the door slammed shut behind her and stared at it for a few moments before shaking her head. Sebastian was crazy.

Esme went back downstairs once she was satisfied that she had investigated her room thoroughly. Prince Soma ran to her and began measuring her all around for size. He reached her chest and stared at it for a few short moments.

"You don't have much going on here… but it doesn't detract from your overall beauty!" Soma declared.

Sebastian peered around the corner and smirked at the comment. His smirk grew larger as he watched Esme bash the back of the prince's head with her fist. He walked back to Ciel's office with a small smile on his face.

"What are you so jolly about?" Ciel asked with a frown.

"Nothing."

"What are those idiots doing out there? They're making a lot of noise."

"Dolls I believe."

"Dolls?" Ciel questioned and then said, "We don't have dolls here so how on earth could they be doing that?"

"Because the doll they're playing with isn't an inanimate object."

Ciel groaned, "He's using Esme as his dress up toy isn't he? At least he's not doing it to me…"

Ciel shuddered, thinking of the over excited prince putting him in some kind of frilly dress.

"When do we start our work? Obviously we aren't here to play," Sebastian said.

"Of course not, we're going to start tomorrow. You and I are going to do some investigating. Esme can stay here and play with those two… once we get more information we'll know how we can use her to lure the murder culprit to us," Ciel explained.

Sebastian nodded, "Very well… now I believe it's time for your afternoon tea."


	8. Chapter 8

"Wonderful! Absolutely beautiful! Don't you agree Agni?!" Prince Soma asked with glowing features.

"Yes of course, you've done magnificent my prince!" Agni bowed proudly with a smile on his face.

"Ciel doesn't know how to dress his servants appropriately!" Soma pouted, "Sebastian could use some color too."

Esme blinked and stared down at herself. The prince had made her stand on a stool in his room and he had spent the last hour putting different clothes on her. Now she was looking down at herself where she saw expensive fabric covering her body. Esme wasn't sure how to feel since she had spent almost her entire life as a lower class citizen around both demons and humans. It was an odd feeling to be pampered but she had to admit she kind of enjoyed it.

"Come over here Esme! I'm not finished yet!" Soma called to her, pointing at a comfortable chair to sit in.

Esme sat down slowly, her jewelry jingling as she did so. Soma grabbed her hands and stared intently at her fingernails.

"This won't do! A goddess doesn't have plain dirty nails!"

Esme's eyebrow twitched.

"Don't worry dear Esme! I'll fix them!" Soma smiled at her as Agni brought a bowl of water and put it next to his prince.

Esme watched with wide eyes as Soma went to work on her fingernails. He then opened a bottle of dark pink nail polish and began painting each nail carefully. He finished his job and moved to each foot, working on a nail at a time. When Soma was finished he puffed out his chest proudly.

"Stunning!" Agni praised him.

Esme turned slowly to look at herself in the mirror and her eyebrows shot up. They were right, she looked regal. She had on a silk sari that was a royal purple with golden edges. One shoulder was uncovered and the sari pooled around her feet. Esme noticed the decorative jewel that was on her forehead and smiled at the pleasant job Soma and Agni had done involving makeup. Her emerald eyes were exaggerated with the dark eyeliner and shadow around them. Her dark hair fell in waves around her shoulders and several golden necklaces with a variety of colorful jewels in them hung from her neck. Esme glanced down at her dark pink fingernails and saw the numerous thick golden bracelets on each wrist. She turned and took a step toward the prince and her eyes shot down as she felt similar golden bracelets jingling around her ankles.

"One more thing!" Soma exclaimed and pulled a small box out of his dresser.

He leaned forward and frowned after looking at Esme's ears.

"They're not pierced!" he exclaimed with a frown.

Esme's eyes shot down. In truth she had tried numerous times in the past to pierce her ears so she could wear earrings like the other dancers in the club. With no clothes on it was hard to accessorize and earrings were and easy solution. She realized quickly that piercing her ears wasn't going to work because of her demon origins. Since she had the ability to heal rapidly the holes closed in mere hours around the earrings which made getting them out almost impossible and incredibly painful.

Agni approached her slowly, "Do not worry my prince. If we do this," he adjusted her hair so that it covered her ears, "The problem vanishes!"

Soma nodded, "Good thinking!"

Esme smiled at her appearance, "Thank you Prince Soma, this is a lovely gift."

"My prince, I believe it's time for dinner," Agni said into Soma's ear.

"I'll meet you down there, I need to get something out of my room really quick," Esme said to them.

She exited Soma's room and entered her own which was down the hall. She closed the door and massaged her throat on the other side. She didn't realize how being around those two made her ache for the taste of blood. She went to the window and opened it, sighing as the cool air hit her face.

"I need to get a hold of myself…" she breathed, touching her lips.

…..

Ciel sipped on tea next to the fire and glanced up as Soma skipped down the stairs. He placed the cup gently on the plate his was holding and handed it to Sebastian who was standing next to him.

"Dinner is ready," Sebastian said in a low voice to the earl.

"Alright," he replied and looked at Soma and Agni, "I suppose you two are joining us as well."

"Yes of course! Ciel it's been so long! It would be fantastic to dine with you!" the prince replied.

Agni folded his hands, "Mr. Sebastian's cooking is also fabulous."

"Where's Esme? She said she'd be right down," Soma said, looking around with wide gold eyes.

Ciel shook his head, "She'll show up when she feels like it."

Sebastian's eyes went to the top of the stairs and he spoke, "No, she's here."

They all turned to watch her ascend the stairs. Soma clapped with glee and Agni beamed at his glowing prince. Ciel's mouth opened in shock and he turned to look at Sebastian who also wore a look of surprise on his face.

"What did you do to her?" Ciel sputtered, "That's not my servant!"

Soma rushed up the stairs and held out his hand, "Allow me!"

Esme smiled sheepishly and allowed him to guide her down the steps.

"_Soma_! What did you do?"

The prince faced the earl with a handsome face, "Isn't she wonderful? An appearance worthy of a goddess!"

Sebastian stared at the pair with stiff shoulders but said nothing. Esme glanced at him but didn't make eye contact. Ciel squeezed his hand into a tight fist and let out a short sigh. He was somewhat relieved that the prince had been distracted by _this_ all day. The earl didn't want to imagine the types of things he would have been put through if the prince would have chosen _him _as the topic of interest.

"Why did you bring me along?"

Ciel snapped out of his thoughts and stared up at the feminine face looking down at him. He crossed his arms and stood up straight.

"We'll discuss it more tomorrow."

Sebastian placed a gloved hand on his master's shoulder, "Let's move to the dining room."

Everyone followed the butler to the table which was set. The earl sat down at the head and Sebastian pushed his chair in behind him. Prince Soma and Agni sat down next to each other and watched Esme curiously as she stood in the doorway of the dining room.

"Come sit!" Soma urged, pointing to the empty seat next to him.

Esme's eyes shot to Sebastian who eyed her coldly from across the room. She then turned her attention to Ciel who was ignoring her.

"I don't usually eat with the earl…" she trailed off awkwardly.

"Nonsense! You're a guest here! I look after this townhouse and I'm asking you to have dinner with me! So sit down!" Soma told her.

Esme stared at Ciel who took a long sip of his drink. She didn't move until he finally glanced up at her.

Ciel shrugged, "Whatever, do what makes him happy or else I won't hear the end of it."

Esme let out a sigh of relief and sat down next to the prince who reached out and gave her a suffocating hug.

"It's impolite to _hug_ at the table," Ciel snapped as Sebastian began placing dinner on the table.

"I'm not doing anything!" Esme held her hands up to show innocence.

Sebastian placed Esme's meal in front of her quite firmly and the dishes clinked loudly. He stared down at her with a murderous glare and moved on. Esme gulped and looked down at the delicious meal in front of her. It's too bad it wasn't what she _really_ needed at the moment. Prince Soma was an attractive guy and to have him hugging all over her was making her thirst even worse. Esme was deeply worried since they were in the city. She had no idea how she was going to find something to quench her desire for blood. Nervously she dared to look at Sebastian who stood motionless in the shadows. She did _not_ want to ask him but she felt like she was going to have to in the end.

After the meal was finished Sebastian cleared away the dishes in the blink of an eye. Esme turned to leave with everyone else but a gloved hand grabbed her arm.

"Where do you think you're going?"

She stopped, watching everyone walk out of the dining room in front of her. She turned to see Sebastian looming over her darkly.

"You disgrace my master with your lowly presence at his dinner table. You _will_ clean up, you're still a Phantomhive servant even if that idiotic prince has taken a liking to you," he told her in a stern voice.

"All you had to do was ask, I'm not opposed to doing the dishes," Esme replied simply.

She brushed by him and went into the kitchen where stacks of dishes were piled. She slid her numerous bracelets off of her arms and turned on the faucet. She started humming and pulled dishes into the hot soapy water. Sebastian watched her from across the kitchen as he wiped a countertop down.

"You clean up quite nicely."

Esme froze and glanced over her shoulder at Sebastian who was still wiping the countertops.

"Thanks," she replied quickly and resumed what she was doing.

She swallowed and her throat felt dry. Memories of when she tasted his blood came to light and her entire body shuddered. At the moment all she cared about was satisfying that terrible ache. She couldn't take it anymore and turned, soapy water dripping from her hands onto the floor. Sebastian was there in a flash with a rag and wiped up the liquid immediately.

"You're making my cleaning job more difficult than it needs to be," he told her as he grabbed a towel to start drying the washed dishes.

"Sebastian I…" Esme trailed off, eyeing his neck where she noticed his tie was slightly loose.

He had removed his tailcoat and rolled up his white sleeves. She squeezed her fists tightly in the dishwater. He stared at her, still drying the plate in his hands and waiting for her to finish what she was saying.

"I'm hungry…" she whispered.

"You just ate an entire meal, how is that so?" he asked with a sparkle in his ruby eyes.

Esme looked frustrated, "You know what I mean!" she snapped.

"So irritable…" Sebastian noted with a smirk.

"You told me to tell you when I was," Esme told him desperately, feeling embarrassed.

Sebastian put his towel down and began opening cabinets. He put the dishes in carefully one by one until the counter top was clear. Once again he wiped down the surface and after he was done he sighed with a satisfied expression.

"Sebastian!" Esme snarled.

He brushed his hands together, "You were saying?"

"You're so irritating! I can't stand you! Just forget I said anything! It's not like you're listening!"

Sebastian watched her start to stomp out of the room and grabbed her.

"Who said I wasn't listening? I was merely finishing my tasks as a Phantomhive butler. Now that I've done that…" he trailed off before pinning her against the wall.

Esme gasped in surprise and turned her head away from his face. He grabbed at the collar of his shirt and pulled on it roughly so she could see the soft spot where his shoulder and neck met.

"Go on now, we can't have you feasting on the humans here can we?" he said to her in a low voice.

"Can't you get me something? I don't want to… you… eh!" Esme sputtered.

"You didn't have a problem with it at the manor, and you seemed to enjoy it, what's different about now?"

"I don't want to make it a habit!" Esme exclaimed.

Sebastian sighed and Esme tried to move out from under him. His scent swirled in her nostrils and she felt dizzy. She leaned forward and took a huge bite. Sebastian let out an uncomfortable grunt when she did so and his eyes glowed as she sucked at the wound. Esme pulled away after a few minutes and wiped her mouth.

"Get off of me," she pushed at his chest.

Sebastian held her in place, "No gratitude? How rude."

Esme broke free and stared at him from a few feet away. She was extremely satisfied and full feeling. All she wanted to do was go to bed. She brushed by Sebastian and left the kitchen. He stared after her for a few moments before touching his new wound. He glanced down at his gloved fingertips which were now a light red and rubbed them together. Her scent still lingered in the kitchen and Sebastian sniffed the air. The prince must have put some type of perfume on her because it was mixed with her natural smell. Sebastian's lip curled as he thought about some of the terrible scents of cologne and perfume humans would wear which was an overload for his sensitive nose. He could hear Soma in the other room fawning over her appearance and the butler left the kitchen. He entered the main living room where everyone was seated around the fire.

Sebastian approached Ciel and spoke, "I believe it's time for bed."

The earl stood and nodded, "Yes."

"Goodnight Ciel! Have pleasant dreams!" Soma smiled at him.

"I'd better turn in too," Esme said as she stood up to follow Ciel.

Soma let out a yawn and nodded in agreement. Sebastian followed Ciel into his room and pulled down the sheets for his master.

"Sebastian, what's on your collar?"

The butler stopped moving and turned to the nearest mirror where he saw a red stain.

"She soiled my clothes…" he mumbled with knitted eyebrows.

"Sebastian!"

"It's nothing my lord, I apologize for my appearance, it's inexcusable," Sebastian bowed.

"Whatever, just put on a clean shirt."

"Of course."

Sebastian exited the earl's room and rushed to his own where he quickly replaced his soiled shirt for one that was fresh and clean. He cinched his tie up and frowned at himself in the mirror. The demon let out an exhausted sigh and carried a lit candle out into the dark hallway. He still had an order to follow that was given to him earlier in the day. He stared intently at Soma's bedroom door which opened slightly. Sebastian saw the gold eyes peering out at him which widened in shock. The door slammed shut and Sebastian blew out the candle with a satisfied expression.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: The reviews are awesome! Thank you! This is a MEGA long chapter compared to the others. Enjoy!**

"Sebastian…" Ciel trailed off as he eyed the Undertaker from across the room.

That morning the earl and Sebastian had left the townhouse to begin their hunt for more information concerning the kidnappings and murders of the young women around London. The Undertaker's place was their first stop.

Sebastian glanced down at the earl and said lowly, "Please wait outside."

Ciel didn't argue and swung around to march out the door. He closed it behind him and waited patiently. He could faintly hear murmurs going on inside and stumbled backwards when the building almost shook with laughter. Ciel charged back inside to see the Undertaker rolling on the floor. Sebastian gave his master a small bow and smiled at him.

"Alright Undertaker, tell us what you know."

He pulled himself off of the floor and leaned across the top of a coffin, "About what?"

"You know _what_," Ciel spat.

"The young ladies, of course…" Undertaker trailed off and opened a nearby coffin lid.

Ciel took a step back and hit Sebastian in the chest as he did so.

Undertaker grinned, "What's wrong little earl? I thought you wanted information."

"I want information, not to view a grotesque corpse," Ciel replied with distaste.

"This is one of the many women turning up around the city. They've all been tortured and some have been sexually assaulted. It appears they've been kept in captivity for a long while before they were killed," Undertaker explained, his long black fingernails brushing the forehead of the body in the coffin.

Ciel nodded, "They are being kidnapped from the streets and once a body turns up another woman becomes missing."

Sebastian spoke up, "Are there any similarities between the victims?"

Undertaker grinned, "Younger women in their late teens and early twenties. I was told they were all abducted at night while walking the downtown streets alone. Other than that..."

"Drat," Ciel mumbled and turned to Sebastian, "That means there's no way we can make our bait suitable _just_ for the culprit. We're going to have to take our chances and choose an area to have her walk around in and hope he grabs her."

Sebastian nodded and thought for a moment, "What about the clothing, what were they wearing when the bodies were discovered?"

"Almost nothing, mostly rags to cover the most… intimate parts."

Ciel's eye twitched at the Undertaker's creepiness and glared up at Sebastian.

"What were they wearing when they were taken?" Ciel questioned.

Undertaker shrugged, "How would I know? I don't see them until after they've stopped breathing."

"Point made…" Ciel trailed off and turned to his butler, "Let's go."

….

"Your afternoon tea."

"Thank you Agni!" Soma smiled up at his servant.

Esme took her own cup and sipped at it. Her eyebrows shot up and she began taking larger mouthfuls.

"This is really good!" she told the two men watching her.

"You act as though you've never had tea before," Soma said.

Esme shrugged, "Not really, only sometimes. I've never been that fond of it."

Agni gave the pair a small bow, "I'm glad you both approve."

"I honestly can't stand that plain clothing they have you wear!" Soma said with a frown as he eyed Esme's plain black dress and black hose.

"Sorry, Sebastian would have my head if I didn't wear my _uniform_," Esme told the prince.

"When are Mr. Sebastian and Ciel returning?" Agni asked.

Esme perked up slightly, "I'd say now."

Everyone looked at the front door which opened momentarily. Ciel marched in with Sebastian at his heels. The butler quickly took his master's coat, hat, and cane. Ciel sat down in one of the large arm chairs and folded his hands.

"Esme, tonight you're going out with Sebastian and I. We're starting what we came here to do," Ciel stated.

"And what's that?" Esme questioned, catching Sebastian sending her a cold stare as he adjusted Ciel's coat on its hangar.

"There's no need for you to know, not yet," Ciel replied.

Sebastian leaned down and spoke lowly in his master's ear, "You will need to tell her at some point. If she gets kidnapped she'll rip them to pieces before we get to follow them."

"I know that!" Ciel swatted at Sebastian who stood up with an amused expression.

…..

That evening Sebastian knocked lightly on Esme's door before opening it. He walked in to see her lying on her bed reading. She was on her stomach and her chin was leaned in her hands. She slowly moved her legs back and forth from their bent position in the air. He closed the door loud enough that the 'click' caused her head to snap up.

"What are you doing?" she asked, starting to sit up.

Sebastian leaned back against the door, "It will be time for us to leave in a while. I thought it might be useful to inform you as to what you'll be doing tonight."

"That would be helpful, _wouldn't it?_" Esme snapped sarcastically.

Sebastian briefly explained why they were in town and what their goal was for the evening. Esme listened with a frown on her face which quickly turned into an open mouth of surprise.

"You want me to walk around so that some murderer can kidnap and torture me?"

Sebastian sighed, "We want him to take you back to his headquarters so we can apprehend him and take down his main source of operations. Also, it's almost certain he has other victims there that are still alive."

"Do you want me to rescue them?"

"No… _I'm_ going to be the one doing things, you'll do nothing, do you understand?" Sebastian asked with a stern face.

"You're telling me not to fight back, no matter what they do to me?"

"I won't allow severe harm to come to you, I promise," Sebastian stated.

"How much is _severe_?"

"Your continuous questioning is wearing on my nerves. You're a servant and you need to do what you're told without being defiant," Sebastian scolded her.

Esme scowled back at him but said nothing. She was more than irritated. Excuse her for caring about her well-being. She wasn't really into the idea of letting some human freak torture her for fun so that Sebastian and Ciel could take their sweet time and rescue her. She wasn't a damsel in distress and didn't like the idea that Sebastian was telling her she couldn't fight back. In truth she was worried that if the creep started torturing her, bad memories would come to the surface of her abuse from the past and then she wouldn't be able to control herself.

"Come downstairs, we will be leaving shortly."

Esme watched Sebastian exit her room and she trailed after him. She ascended the staircase only to see Soma and Ciel arguing. She tried not to laugh at Sebastian who watched them from the front door impatiently. He looked up at her and sighed, as if to say 'Finally'.

"What are they arguing about?" Esme asked him.

"Our _clothes_," Sebastian ground out in distaste.

Esme bit her lip to stifle a giggle. Agni looked helpless behind his prince as he continued to push his point.

She glanced up at Sebastian and said, "I think he's right, our clothing is a little dreary… with all of this black."

"We don't need to be _flashy_ and _colorful_."

Esme shrugged, "I don't know, I don't think you'd look bad with a bit more red in your wardrobe."

Sebastian stood up straight, "Nonsense."

"Enough!" Ciel exclaimed, "My servants' dress is _not_ your choice! I don't want them to be colorful so they won't be! I get enough of that when Elizabeth comes to my manor."

Soma folded his arms, "You're sacrificing their beauty! All of your servants are wonderfully handsome and could shine if you put a little more effort into their appearance!"

Esme looked at Sebastian and shook her head, he was _not_ beautiful, he was a jerk. She'd admit that he was quite a handsome guy, but his personality made her want to wretch sometimes.

"We're _going_," Ciel said shortly, still eyeing the prince.

"I'm dressing them both up tomorrow," Soma stated, his gold eyes determined.

Sebastian opened the front door and allowed Ciel and then Esme to exit. He stopped and frowned at Soma and Agni.

"You will _not_ place a finger on me or my clothing," he said clearly with glowing eyes.

Soma hesitated and shrunk at the sight. Both of the Indians sighed in relief when the door closed.

…..

"You can be incredibly dense. What is it with you and not dressing properly for cooler weather?" Sebastian asked as the trio walked a main street downtown.

The sun was long gone and the only things illuminating the area were street lamps lining the roads. Esme had her arms folded around her chest and goose bumps popped up all over her skin. She ignored Sebastian and stared up at the moon which was over half full. She was glad that she didn't have to worry about her little secret for a little while. At the same time, it didn't really matter since Sebastian knew about it considering he was the only person in the house who would barge into her room at ungodly hours of the night. Demons didn't need to sleep, but Esme liked to and apparently Sebastian didn't. Since she had been at the manor she had never once seen the butler retreat to his room to sleep. He was always awake and at night time he seemed to be constantly roaming the mansion with a lit candelabrum.

"We'll start here."

Esme stopped walking and noticed that they had traveled off of the main road and were near the docks. She turned around, Sebastian watching her with narrowed eyes, and noticed there were no people around.

"So you want me to walk around? This seems kind of silly."

"This is where Sebastian and I are leaving you. You can walk wherever you want," Ciel told her and motioned to the butler, "He'll keep an eye on you."

"Wonderful," Esme said sarcastically, "I feel so safe."

"If I could squeeze you to death to silence you and your disrespect, I _would_," Sebastian leaned down and whispered to her.

"I'm going!" Esme stepped away from him quickly.

She began walking, her heels echoing on the cobblestone. She turned to look back at the earl and butler but only saw darkness.

"This is stupid, I'm not going to magically stumble onto a murderer," Esme grumbled as she walked behind buildings.

It was extremely cool outside and Esme shivered, feeling stupid that she didn't wear a coat. She jumped at a loud bang and braced herself. A trashcan rolled in front of her and a pair of quarrelling cats ran out of it. Esme clenched her jaw, damn she hated cats.

She continued moving and decided to head back to the main road. Maybe if she walked a while on it and then skirted off into a less inhabited area the culprit would follow her. She doubted he was hanging out on back roads, more likely he was in a popular place scoping out potential prey. The main road had a medium sized crowd of people getting off of work and others going home who had just had dinner. Esme blended right in and her eyes darted around suspiciously. She knew that that damn butler was watching her from somewhere. She had the urge to try and lose him just to make him angry but that would most likely be a difficult task.

She continued her pattern of hitting the main street and then walking off to a less populated area for a few hours until even the main road was bare. Esme decided she was going to go back to the spot Sebastian and Ciel left her. Maybe they could try again another night.

As she walked along side of the docks her eyebrows perked up. She could hear someone following her from behind. All of a sudden the footsteps were fast, running. Esme spun around quickly and in surprise the shady man reached for her necklace and pushed her at the same time. Since she had been instructed not to fight back Esme fell backwards without a struggle. The man's hand closed around her necklace and he ripped it painfully from her neck as she fell. Esme's eyes grew wide as she flew over the side of the dock. Moments before her body hit the icy water she saw the figure fleeing the scene. Ice cold water surrounded her body as she broke the surface of the dark water.

She began struggling desperately trying to come to the surface without any success. Esme had never been able to swim and never learned how. She loved taking baths but hated the idea of swimming. She always steered clear of large bodies of water, especially boats. The sea was frightening to her because it was so vast and unknown.

Esme thrashed beneath the surface and felt her shoes come off of her feet in her wild kicking. Her eyes began glowing as panic began to set in. She could see a street lamp glowing above her through the surface but it was getting further away by the second.

'Someone, _anyone!_' she thought desperately as bubbles flew out of her mouth.

The coldness of the water caused her to feel sluggish and her movements began to slow. Her chest felt frozen and crushed as she continued to sink. There was a muffled crash and her eyes darted around the dark water, trying to see what it was. She flailed about and felt a firm hand grab her wrist. It began pulling her up and she broke the surface with a large gasp for breath. Her eyes shot to her rescuer, her knight in shining armor.

Sebastian glared at her and Esme's mouth quickly fell into a frown. He pulled her along as he swam to the ledge of the dock. Sebastian grabbed the back of her dress and threw her like a doll up onto the cobblestone. Esme skidded to a halt and she started coughing as water dripped from her nose onto the ground.

"You could have been a little gentler," Esme growled at him.

Sebastian pulled himself out of the water and stood upright with straight shoulders.

"And you could have the common sense to swim, but you don't. I can't believe that _you_, being a _dog,_ can't _swim._ I'm dumbfounded," he told her.

"Where's Ciel?" Esme asked, glancing around and ignoring him.

"In bed, it's much past his bedtime," Sebastian replied simply.

"You left?! To put him to bed? So I could have been kidnapped and lost forever because you were fluffing his pillow?!" she cried out.

"Women and their hysterics," Sebastian shook his head in disappointment.

Esme's skin was almost white from the icy water and cold air hitting it. Her fingers were tinted purple and she stared down at her shoeless feet which were only covered by her panty hose.

"Just get me inside, I'm freezing!"

"I don't take orders from you," Sebastian replied, "Now get on your feet and let's go."

Esme stood up slowly and winced as the hard cobblestone pushed uncomfortably against the soles of her cold feet. She tip toed after the butler who had already started walking away from her.

"You're bleeding," Sebastian said, not looking at her as they walked.

Her eyes shot down to where her necklace had been and she touched the side of her neck. There was a small cut from where the clasp had caught on her skin when the goon had ripped it off of her.

"It's nothing," she replied, "That guy though, was he?" she asked.

Sebastian shook his head slowly, water dripping from his black hair, "No, he was a simply out to mug someone. Not our culprit."

"Great, that means I get to do this again."

"Of course, we will do this as many times as necessary until my master finds what he's looking for," Sebastian answered.

"I'm wearing flashy clothes next time, and you won't stop me! Prince Soma will fix me up!" Esme declared, "It'll definitely lure that jerk in!"

"I'm astounded you enjoy his company so much… are you infatuated with a human?" Sebastian asked, glancing down at her with an interested expression.

"No… he's a nice person. There aren't many of those in the _house_ I live in so…" Esme replied.

"It's not my job to be nice."

"Obviously, you drive me crazy sometimes. You'll be semi nice, then a total jerk right after," Esme told him as the townhouse came into view.

"I'm undecided on how I feel about you. Sometimes you're an annoying hindrance and other times you can be quite… amusing."

They made their way up the stairs and Esme reached for the door knob but Sebastian's gloved hand grabbed it first. He opened it and nodded for her to go in. Esme entered the house and stepped in quietly. The house was silent except for the crackling of the nearby fire.

"Come, I'll run a hot bath, there's no use in you getting sick when you're required for our scheme," Sebastian said, motioning for her to follow him.

Esme noticed how heavy his dark clothes were hanging on him because they were still soaked with cold water. She stayed on his heels until they stopped at one of the bathroom doors in the townhouse.

"This isn't the one I've been using, I told you I didn't want to share with you," Esme shook her finger at him.

He used his hand to swat her finger down and opened the door. He started running steaming water and placed towels next to the tub.

"Go get your night clothes," he ordered her.

Esme turned wordlessly and retreated to her room to grab her nightgown. She couldn't wait to get her wet clothes off. It was an awful feeling to have soaked clothes on that were sticking to her skin. She found her way back to the bathroom and Sebastian placed a basket down on the floor.

"Put those soiled clothes in there, I'll dry them out with mine," he told her.

"Thanks… you're being oddly nice," Esme said nervously.

"Even I'm not so rude as to hassle a lady who is freezing in soaked clothing," he replied honestly.

"Who uses this bathroom anyway? Ciel?"

Sebastian awkwardly pulled off his sopping wet overcoat. He threw it into the basket and it landed with a heavy thud. He unbuttoned his tailcoat underneath and tossed it into the basket next, creating another heavy thud.

"I would never allow you to bathe in the same facilities as my young master. This is my washroom."

Esme cocked her head, "Why didn't you make me use Prince Soma and Agni's?"

Sebastian pulled his tie off, "Why does it matter?"

Esme shrank back, "I don't know, I was just asking."

She watched as he used his teeth to pull off each wet glove from his hands. His contract hand and black nails stood out against his pale skin. She stared at the basket which was full of soggy clothes and looked back up at him.

"Sebastian? Are you going to leave?" she asked in a quiet voice.

He crossed his arms and sighed, "I suppose…"

Esme's eyes shot open, "Do you _want _to stay?" she asked in shock.

"I'd like to remove these soiled clothes but as man with proper manners… I'll wait for you to finish," he said with a small smile and closed the door on his way out.

Esme quickly yanked and pulled her clothes off, hopping in the steamy water. She smiled a big grin as the hot water warmed her bones. She cleaned up quickly, washed her hair and got out; wrapping up in a towel. She placed her clothes on top of his and grabbed her nightgown. Beads of water slid down her skin and she let her towel fall to the floor. She slipped into her nightgown and rubbed her hair with the towel.

Esme charged out of the washroom only to find the hallway empty. She turned slowly to the door she knew was to Sebastian's room. It wasn't closed all the way and she could see a light glowing inside. He had been pretty nice to her… the least she could do was tell him she was done so he could get into dry clothes too. She approached the door cautiously and tried to peek through the gap between the door and frame. Esme reached out and pushed the door open warily and stuck her head into the room.

"What are you doing?"

She yelped and turned to see Sebastian staring down at her with a frown on his face.

"I just wanted to tell you that I was done!" she exclaimed, feeling stupid.

"I see that," he replied, giving a nod to her appearance.

She grabbed at her wet hair and stared down at her nightgown.

"Well!" she said suddenly, "Goodnight then!"

She turned to leave and Sebastian stopped her. Her eyes shot down to her arm where his fingers were wrapped around it. She stared at his black nails and then looked up at his face.

"I have a proposition for you."

Esme blinked in surprise, "What?"

"I'll allow you to take all of the blood you want from me…" he told her slowly.

"You'll what?" Esme whispered, not sure where the conversation was going.

"You heard what I said," Sebastian said, impatience gracing his features.

"That's considerate… uh," Esme stumbled to find words.

"In exchange…" he started.

"No way, I'm not making a deal with you… you're a soul eater! You _hurt_ people on purpose!" she exclaimed.

"And you'd hurt people on purpose as well if you couldn't obtain your meals from another _source_."

"I was doing this long before I met you, and I've been living just fine," Esme hissed out in reply.

Sebastian leaned in close to her with deep ruby eyes, "I refuse to believe that a wild _beast_'s blood satiates your hunger the way mine does."

"Well!"

Esme knew he had her there. When they were at the manor she had to go out every other night or so to catch a new creature to feed on but when she had consumed Sebastian's blood she was able to go days or more without hunger.

"In exchange…" Sebastian continued in a silky voice, "You'll provide me with _obedience_ when I request it. I am allowed to come at _any_ time and request whatever _I_ please and you _will_ obey. Is that clear?"

Esme didn't like the sound of that, but what on earth could he ask her to do that would be that bad? She liked the idea of having a secure source for meals. Sebastian watched her carefully and Esme grabbed his hand that was still around her arm. She pried him off and proceeded to shake his hand slowly. She gave it a small squeeze and nodded with a serious expression.

"Superb," he nodded, his eyes glowing.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Once again, wonderful reviews! Thank you! I'm updating quickly now because there might be a couple week update drought in the near future because I have finals week for my college semester coming up quickly!**

The next evening came quickly and Esme found herself getting ready to go out on the street once again. She was keeping her promise and had asked Soma if he could help her wear something a little flashier. He dressed her in a bright red dress which was slim against her body and put gold jewelry on her once again. Soma insisted that she wear makeup and Esme was shocked to see he put cranberry red lipstick on her to match her dress.

Esme stared at herself in the mirror and down at her legs which were bare just below her knees where the dress stopped.

"Shouldn't I put on some panty hose… this is really indecent to be showing my legs like this!" Esme said nervously.

Prince Soma rolled his gold eyes, "You're fine!"

Esme gulped and stood up, staring down at her bare feet which still had pink painted toenails. She made her way downstairs where Ciel was by the fire reading a book. He glanced up and his blue eye became large.

"_What are you wearing?!"_ he almost shouted, slamming the book shut and standing upright.

"I… well!" Esme stuttered, taking steps backward.

Prince Soma gracefully made his way down the stairs and hugged Esme tightly. She stood rigid and he stared at Ciel with a bright smile.

"Doesn't she look ravishing?!"

"She looks like a _whore_! What have you done to my servant?!" Ciel exclaimed, his knuckles turning white from gripping his book's spine so tightly.

Sebastian came out of the kitchen, "Young master, is there something wrong? I heard shouting…"

Sebastian stopped as his eyes came to rest on Esme. He scowled at her and looked to Ciel who was gritting his teeth. Soma continued smiling and patted Esme on the cheek.

"You, come with me," Sebastian said, grabbing her by the arm.

He pushed Soma off in a swift motion and Ciel began arguing with the prince once again. Sebastian dragged Esme up the stairs and into her room. He slammed the door behind them and turned with a stern face.

"_Change_," he ordered her, pointing at her closet.

"No!" Esme said defiantly, "I like the dress! But I'll compromise with you."

He watched as she pulled a pair of black panty hose out of her dresser drawer. Sebastian crossed his arms and the corner of his mouth twitched.

"But I do have a problem…" Esme said, staring down at her feet.

Sebastian looked expectantly at her, waiting for an elaboration.

"I lost my shoes, when I fell into the water and you only packed me one pair."

She watched as he tapped his polished shoe on the floor in agitation. Sebastian huffed and opened her door to leave.

He stopped and turned back to her, "Take that awful paint off of your lips, it's not a fitting look for you."

The door closed and Esme looked at herself in the mirror… she didn't think it looked _that_ bad.

…..

Ciel stared at Esme with irritation as she came back downstairs. He looked her up and down and let out a forced sigh.

"I suppose that will have to do," he said hotly.

"Where's Sebastian?" she asked him.

"He said he'd be back, he had an errand for _you_. Since when does my butler take orders from another servant?"

Esme twiddled her thumbs awkwardly, "I don't have any shoes…"

Ciel's face dropped, "Oh…"

Prince Soma was stretched out in front of the fire. His hands folded behind his head with a pillow underneath him. He smiled contently as the warmth from the blaze surrounded him. Ciel and Esme quietly waited until the front door opened and Sebastian walked in briskly. He handed her a pair of black pumps, identical to the ones she had lost. Esme set them on the floor and stepped into them quickly. She gave Ciel a thumbs up that she was ready to go but the earl scowled at her. She jumped as she felt something slid up her arm. Her head whipped around only to see Sebastian pulling the sleeve of a dark grey overcoat up her arm.

"Oh!" she said in surprise and put her other arm in the remaining sleeve.

Sebastian stepped away from her and she adjusted the coat on her shoulders. He grabbed another coat and placed it on the earl while handing him his hat and cane. Lastly he took his own black overcoat off of the hooks near the door and pulled it on.

"I see you were able to get it dry from last night," Esme noted, nodding at him.

Ciel turned to Sebastian and stared at him skeptically, "What did you do last night?"

"What you ordered me to, I brought her back to the townhouse. We ran into minor difficulties and I ended up going for a night swim by the docks."

"Sebastian! You didn't tell me about that!" Ciel exclaimed.

The butler smirked, "You never asked."

He pulled a pair of black gloves on more suited to outdoor wear than his white pair. He opened the door and motioned for them to exit. Once outside Ciel took the lead; walking confidently forward.

"We're going to the same spot again," he stated.

Esme nodded and Sebastian said nothing. She was glad he had given her a coat to wear. It was chilly again that evening but the main streets were bustling. Once again they moved off the beaten path and Ciel and Sebastian left Esme.

"Once again…" Esme trailed off as she made her way to the main road.

The feeling around her was different this night than it had been the previous one. She truly had the feeling that someone was _watching_ her. Esme knew that Sebastian was most likely leering down at her from somewhere, but it was obvious that he wouldn't be the one causing her to be paranoid. Someone else was watching her too and her eyes darted about. The streets were crowded and people brushed by her in hoards. Esme started to feel claustrophobic. It felt like she was trapped in mass of people and couldn't escape. She did _not_ like the feeling of being hunted.

Esme made an obvious cut to one of the side streets that was dimly lit. She walked slowly and started breathing faster when she could hear faint footsteps behind her. Her eyes shot up, looking at the rooftops, looking for any sign that Sebastian was watching. She clenched her jaw, if that jerk was back at the townhouse giving Ciel an evening back rub with hot chocolate she was going to be seriously angry. She swung around to face her assailant who charged at her with outstretched arms. He pulled out a syringe and jammed it into the side of Esme's neck. She let out a gasp and narrowed her eyes.

He was obviously trying to sedate her but regular human medicine had little to no effect on her. Esme played the part and swayed slightly before falling forward. The man grabbed her and carried her to a cart that was hooked up to a horse near the backside of a building. Esme limply allowed the man throw her in the back where he pulled a cover over her entire body. She listened as the cart creaked when he got on and the snort of the horse as the wheels began moving.

"Sebastian you better be following me or I swear…" Esme muttered under her breath in the darkness of the covered cart.

…

"You'll watch her again," Ciel ordered as he walked through town with his butler.

"Of course," Sebastian gave his master a smile, "Did you want to return to the townhouse?"

Ciel pulled his hat down over his eyes, "Yes… I'd like some warm milk when we return."

"Yes, my lord, I'll make it immediately."

The pair arrived back at the townhouse to find Soma fast asleep on the floor by the fireplace and Agni asleep in a chair next to him. Ciel turned to Sebastian and gave him a glare that screamed 'Don't wake them up'. Ciel wasn't in the mood to deal with Soma; he wanted his milk and his pillow.

Sebastian smoothly removed Ciel's hat and coat. The earl turned and handed his cane to the butler who took it with a small smile. Ciel walked quietly by the sleeping Indians and retreated up the stairs. Sebastian moved quickly to the kitchen and made warm milk with honey in the blink of an eye; he didn't have time to waste. In a flash he was next to his master who had just entered his room.

"You're being hasty tonight, do you know something I don't?" Ciel questioned, not looking at the butler as he started to unbutton his shirt.

"Not at all, I want to avoid a situation similar to the one that occurred last night," Sebastian answered, placing the milk on the nightstand next to Ciel's bed.

Ciel watched as Sebastian pulled out his night clothes and moved toward him. The earl stopped moving and Sebastian undressed and redressed him almost instantly. He vanished from Ciel's side and was next to the bed, pulling the covers down.

He stood and with a small bow asked, "Is there anything else?"

Ciel frowned at the butler and waved him off. Sebastian smiled and left the townhouse quickly. He took to the rooftops, the ice cold air pelting him as he moved swiftly in the direction of Esme's scent. He began to get slightly frustrated as he continued searching for her but couldn't find her. He traveled in the direction he could smell her but once he arrived at the end of the trail he'd look down at the street and there would be no sign of her. Suddenly he realized that every time he arrived at the end of her scent trail there was one thing in common… a cart being pulled by a single horse. Sebastian leaned over the edge of a roof corner and eyed the cart suspiciously. His eyes began to glow and a small smirk formed on his face.

"You can't escape me that easily," he said out loud in a scolding tone.

He followed the cart which moved slowly until they were on the poorer outskirts of the city. The cart stopped in front of a ragged building and the driver stepped down. He walked to a pair of cellar doors and pulled them open. He returned to the cart and yanked the cover up revealing Esme's unmoving form underneath. He grabbed her ankle and dragged her toward him until he could get his arms around her. He entered the cellar with her and a few moments later he emerged; closing the doors behind him. Sebastian leapt down from the roof silently and surveyed the area. It was more open than the middle of the city which made reconnaissance work more difficult. The horse and cart were led away and everything became silent. The butler pondered what he should do but knew that he couldn't act until his master had ordered him. He gave one glance to the cellar doors before departing to head back to the townhouse.

He arrived back quickly and entered. The fire was burning lowly and the Indian pair had turned in for the night. Sebastian kneeled on the ground, the room dimly lit by the remaining cinders. He used the fire poker and moved the ashes about, stacking more wood inside. The butler made his way up the stairs in the dark and stopped in front of the earl's room. He paused, wondering if by chance his master was still awake and could give him an order now. His gloved hand grabbed the door handle and twisted. He peered inside with narrowed eyes only to see Ciel fast asleep with an innocent expression on his face.

"Tsh," Sebastian huffed lightly with a small smile at the sight of his master looking so childish.

He closed the door silently and returned to his room. The moon was bright out and he stared out his window at it for quite some time.

"Tomorrow…" he trailed off before heading out of his bedroom to perform nightly tasks for the next day.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I should be studying, but this is much more fun! :D Longest chapter yet, enjoy!**

"Where's Esme?! Where is she?! I checked her room and I looked all through the house! She's not here!"

"Prince Soma, please calm down," Agni said in a soothing voice.

"But!" Soma spun around and stared at his servant with worried golden eyes.

"We will find her, I promise," Agni told him.

Soma let out a small whimper and he made a dash upstairs. Agni followed closely behind and the prince threw open the door in front of him.

"Ciel!" Some shouted as he charged into the room

The earl dropped his violin bow in surprise and he knitted his eyebrows.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Ciel exclaimed as Soma wrapped him in a tight embrace.

Sebastian shook his head and adjusted the glasses on his face. He was wearing his teaching clothes and his hair was combed over instead of loosely hanging around his face. Ciel struggled and spat at the prince to let him go repeatedly but to no avail. Sebastian tapped his conductor's baton impatiently against the music stand next to him.

"Ciel! Esme is missing! Please tell me where she is!" the prince cried out, his eyes watering.

"No!" Ciel sputtered upon seeing Soma's face, "You will _not_ cry! Stop that! Let me go!"

Tears began running down the prince's face and onto Ciel's clothes. Agni watched his prince with an embarrassed expression as he squeezed the earl tightly.

"Sebastian! I order you to get him _off_ me!" Ciel choked out breathlessly.

Sebastian placed the baton on the stand and walked toward the pair with a frown on his face. Soma opened one eye and let go of Ciel immediately upon seeing the butler. He backed away with big eyes and Sebastian smirked.

"Finally!" Ciel growled, brushing himself off.

"Where is Esme?!" Soma asked again with a pleading expression.

Sebastian glared at the prince and glanced at the earl. Ciel scowled and placed his violin carefully into its case. He snapped it shut and adjusted his tie heatedly.

Agni moved slowly until he was next to Sebastian and whispered, "Mr. Sebastian, where is the girl? My prince is deeply upset."

"I'm afraid she's unavailable at this time," the butler replied simply.

"Is she safe?" Agni asked.

Sebastian's eyes went to Ciel who was glaring at him. He didn't answer Agni's question because he didn't tell lies. If he told the truth there would most likely be an uproar so it was much more convenient to remain silent. To be honest, he had no idea if she was safe or not. He _did_ know that she was still alive because it was impossible for a silly mortal to kill a demon. They could torture her as much as they wanted.

…..

Esme had been in a human sized cage for hours on end. She refused to sleep and had no idea what time it was. The cellar was dark and she didn't know if it was day or night. The space around her reeked and her sensitive nose felt overwhelmed. She could smell alcohol, blood, and body odor the most intensely. The man who had taken her had not returned since he had put her in the cage and so she sat patiently. Esme was starting to get extremely irritated that Sebastian and Ciel had not come after her yet. Did they even know she was here? Did they care? Or was this their way to get rid of her so they wouldn't have to look after her anymore. They could kill two birds with one stone, capture their culprit and get rid of an unnecessary person taking up space in the Phantomhive manor.

She tucked her legs up and wrapped her arms around them. It was a good thing she didn't need to sleep or else she'd be exhausted, but she couldn't let her captor know that. She had to play the part of a frail kidnapped girl. Esme licked her dry lips. It had been a few days since she had drank any type of blood. It was premature, but she could feel the slight onset of hunger deep inside her. She frowned at the thought… Sebastian had made that special deal with her and if he didn't come get her so he could follow through on it she'd be seriously upset.

Esme froze as she head the creaking of wooden stairs. Footsteps thumped down them heavily and she cringed when a dim light bulb flickered on. The cellar was quite large with many kinds of tools strewn about. Esme's cage was in the corner and she watched through the bars as the man approached her. He was sloppy and looked like he hadn't shaved in weeks. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was greasy. Esme wrinkled her nose as the smell of sweat and alcohol floated off of him. He curled his lip at her and unlocked the cage door.

"Who are you?" Esme asked as he grabbed her legs and put them in shackles that were bolted to the floor.

He ignored her and took her shoes. She watched as he began searching through a variety of boxes of tools. There was clinking as the metal devices banged against one another.

Esme took a deep breath, "What are you going to do to me?"

The man continued to ignore her and set up a neat line of tools on a dusty table. Esme's eyes shot down where she saw blood stains in the wood of the floor underneath her. She then looked at her rusted shackles where there was dried blood in the creases of the iron. Esme swallowed hard… she was not looking forward to this.

…

That evening as Sebastian was cleaning up after dinner he thought about the previous night. He wondered what the culprit had done to Esme. It really didn't bother him but he was still curious. Earlier in the day Ciel told Sebastian that they would being going to the house of the kidnapper in the evening to retrieve Esme and apprehend the murderer.

He carefully put the clean dishes away and made sure that the countertops were spotless before leaving the room. Ciel was playing chess with Soma and the pair looked up as he approached them. The butler pulled out his pocket watch and stared at it before closing it with a 'click'.

"Young master, shall we go?" he asked as Ciel triumphantly knocked over Soma's king.

"No! Ciel why can't I win?!" the prince cried out, staring at the chessboard with disbelief.

Ciel smirked and stood up. Sebastian placed an overcoat over the earl and grabbed his own. The pair then left the townhouse.

"Our main objective is to capture our target. We'll get _her_ when we're finished, alright?"

Sebastian bowed his head as they walked, "Yes, my lord."

The two arrived at the shabby house and Sebastian could see the man inside asleep on a ragged couch. He appeared to be stained with something dark which covered his hands and chest. Ciel nodded at his butler who moved forward swiftly to the house. The earl followed behind and entered the open door. There was a commotion and Sebastian emerged from the depths of the house holding the man over one shoulder. He was unconscious and Sebastian stared at Ciel, waiting for an order.

"Drop him off on The Yard's doorstep, tell them it's a gift from the earl Phantomhive," Ciel told him.

Sebastian nodded with a smirk and exited the house quickly. Ciel was left alone standing in the doorway. He walked into the house and realized that it was empty.

"Esme?" he called out, glancing around the silent home.

"She's not in here."

Ciel spun around to see Sebastian smiling at him from the entrance.

"Idiot," Ciel grumbled, following his butler outside.

Sebastian made his way to the cellar doors and pulled them open in a swift motion. Ciel followed him into the darkness and the butler quickly found the light switch. The bulb flickered as it turned on and the pair walked down the creaky wooden steps. Sebastian stopped moving and Ciel bumped into his back with a grunt.

"What are you doing?!" Ciel snapped.

"She's there," Sebastian stated, nodding at the corner of the cellar which was dimly lit.

Ciel stepped around his butler and narrowed his eyes at the shadowy corner. He walked closer until he could see the inside of the barred cage.

"Sebastian… what were the stains on that man's hands and on his clothes?" the earl asked, not looking away.

"Blood," he stated.

Ciel frowned and watched the crouched figure on the ground carefully. It was too dimly lit to see anything other than the outline of shapes but he wrapped his hands around two of the bars.

"Esme, that's you isn't it?"

Sebastian quickly approached his master and placed a light hand on his shoulder, "Master, I believe you should wait outside. I'll deal with this."

Ciel looked slightly pale and turned around; heading up the wooden staircase.

"Get up," Sebastian ordered, staring at the girl with sharp eyes.

He watched as she looked over her shoulder at him. Her pupils were dilated to the degree that her green irises were almost undetectable. Her dress was in tatters and she was extremely dirty. Sebastian's eyebrow arched as she turned to face him. She was still on the ground and he noticed that she had shackles around her ankles. They glistened in the darkness and the butler grabbed the door to the cell.

He didn't look for the key and quickly broke the lock with little effort. Sebastian turned and walked to a nearby table where there were matches next to a candle. He lit the wick and moved back to the door of the cage. His eyes widened slightly as he saw Esme's appearance which was now illuminated by candlelight.

"You've been injured… quite severely," Sebastian stated; eyeing her.

Esme glared at him and said nothing. Her knuckles were white from squeezing her fists so hard. Sebastian saw that she was sitting in a pool of her own blood and that there were deep cuts all over her body. The shackles had cut grooves around her ankles which seeped even more blood onto the floor. Esme was concentrating very hard to control herself. It was a good thing that Sebastian had sent Ciel outside. The urge to attack something and suck it dry was overpowering. She was weak from the large loss of blood and she needed someone else's to gain her strength back. She went rigid as Sebastian knelt in front of her and reached out; grabbing one of the chains connected to her leg iron. He broke it swiftly and repeated the process on the other leg so that only the cuffs were left around her ankles.

"Sebastian," Esme said, barely above a whisper.

He paused and stared at her with his dark eyes, "Is something wrong?"

She didn't reply and lunged at him. He fell back and hit the floor heavily. She straddled him and ripped away his tie. Esme pulled roughly at his shirt where the buttons snapped off from the force being put on them. Sebastian's face was expressionless and he stared at the ceiling as she brushed her lips over the side of his neck. She bit into him roughly and dug her nails into the wooden floor.

"This is sudden," Sebastian stated, "Be quick about it, my master is waiting outside."

Esme took large gulps of the delicious blood until she pulled up; gasping for air. Dark liquid ran down her chin and dripped onto Sebastian's crisp white shirt. He narrowed his eyes at her and with a quick motion pushed her off of him. He stood up and adjusted his collar.

"It was completely unnecessary to ruin my tie," Sebastian bit out, picking up several pieces of the torn material.

"Get me the hell out of here," Esme told him with a shudder.

She stared at the closed toolboxes, knowing exactly what was inside of them. Sebastian watched her for a moment and then motioned for her to follow. She trailed after him up the stairs.

"What were you doing in there? I've been waiting for ages!" Ciel barked once he saw his butler.

Ciel stopped speaking and stared incredulously at Sebastian. His shirt was open and stuck to the side of his neck where and apparent wound was bleeding profusely. The butler's white gloves were incredibly dirty and his tie was missing. The earl's eyes then went to Esme who stood meekly behind Sebastian. Her dress looked like a rag and she was covered in slash marks.

"Both of you need to clean yourselves up when we get back to the townhouse," Ciel ordered them as they started walking, "You both look horrendous."

"I apologize," Sebastian bowed, "I'll take care of this once we return to the house."

Esme said nothing and followed the pair quietly. She kept her arms wrapped around herself. It was incredible how she went from crazed to calm once drinking Sebastian's blood. All she wanted to do now was take a hot bath. She wanted to scrub that man off of her. He had poked and prodded her with all of his 'toys'; it was definitely something she wanted to forget. She felt humiliated that a human had violated her in such a way. Esme had not fought back and followed Ciel's wishes to the T. They arrived back at the townhouse and Ciel ascended the stairs.

He turned to look at Sebastian and said, "I'll put myself to bed, I don't want you around me until you make yourself presentable."

Sebastian gave Ciel a bow, "Yes, my lord."

"Where's Soma?" Esme asked, looking around.

"Probably asleep, it _is_ quite late," Sebastian stated.

Esme ignored him and quickly went up the stairs; going inside her room. She shut the door and heaved a sigh of relief. She grabbed her night clothes and slammed her door behind her as she began walking to Soma and Agni's washroom. She reached out to grab the door knob when a hand grabbed her around the wrist. She glared at the painted black nails and sharply turned to stare at Sebastian.

"_What_?"

"Don't use that tone with me," he scolded her.

"What do you want?" she asked him again.

"Come with me," he told her.

"No! I want to take a bath and wash away the disgusting things that man did!" Esme exclaimed, "You have no idea what I went through while you and Ciel took your sweet time coming to get me!"

"You _will_ come with me, recall our deal… You had your fill of me earlier, so now you'll _listen_ to me, understood?"

Esme frowned at him even though she knew he was right. She had agreed to his terms so there was nothing she could do… she was an honest person so she walked after him. They arrived in front of his washroom and he opened the door, motioning for her to go inside. He closed the door behind them and began running steaming hot water into the tub. Esme remained silent and watched as he moved about, placing towels next to the tub. The butler knelt down and efficiently broke the cuffs from the leg irons off of each ankle. Esme winced as the shackles gouged her a final time.

"Take that thing off, it's trash," Sebastian told her; nodding at her clothing.

"Can't you leave or something?" Esme said uncomfortably.

"I'm not going to look at you, there's nothing to see. I'm following orders, my master said we both needed to clean up and it starts with getting rid of that rag you call a dress," he blatantly said.

Esme wanted to punch him. He was being so callous even though she had just endured a day and a half long torture session. She was so frustrated and finally didn't care anymore, there was no use hiding it. She tore the dress off roughly and threw it into the floor with a choked sob. Sebastian glanced at her and a look of shock crossed his features. He knew that she was injured but hadn't imagined what was staring him in the face. Esme quickly retreated to the bathtub which she hopped in to cover herself. She hissed as the steaming soapy water came into contact with her staggering number of wounds.

Sebastian had his back to her and was tending to his neck at the sink. He held a cold cloth over it and applied pressure with a scowl.

"What's wrong?" Esme asked him.

"In a regular situation this wouldn't be a problem," he motioned to his neck and added, "But since the wound was caused by another demon… it seems like it's going to be a bit more difficult to heal."

"Sorry," Esme mumbled before dunking herself deep into the hot water.

Sebastian pulled the cloth away only to see it was stained a light red. He sighed and unbuttoned his shirt, throwing it on top of Esme's dress.

"A perfectly good shirt… ruined," he said distastefully.

Esme came up for air and began scrubbing her head vigorously. Bubbles sprouted to life on top of her head as she massaged her scalp. She kept her eyes closed so that soap wouldn't get in them but she heard Sebastian sit down on the bathroom counter. She continued what she was doing and then dunked back underwater to rinse her hair.

She surfaced only to hear, "What did he do to you?"

She paused, water dripping off of her nose and stared at the butler who had discarded his white shirt. Sebastian had his hands folded in his lap as he eyed her; his chest bare.

"He used tools and cut me, isn't that obvious," Esme replied shortly.

"All of those wounds… tell me how he did each one of them," Sebastian stated, not asking.

Esme stared at him in disbelief. He was being so weird, what kind of person asked that? Was he sick or something? She hesitantly began telling him with a shaky voice. The cuts on her skin made her feel like it was a moonless night. She felt ugly and disgusting. She described how he started on her limbs and worked his way to her core. Her breasts had symmetrical slashes on them and her belly had the man's initials carved on the skin.

"It's almost as though he used you as a canvas," Sebastian noted.

Esme shook her head, a chill running down her spine. It was easy to talk about now, but while it was happening she didn't enjoy it. Even though she was a demon it had still been excruciatingly painful. The man _did_ take a blade and all kinds of other tools to her bare skin; it wasn't pleasant.

"What took you so long to come?" Esme asked suddenly.

Sebastian crossed his arms, "I saw you being taken into the cellar, but my master was asleep. It was impossible for me to proceed without an order from him. He said we would come the next evening, which we did."

"I'm glad you two were so concerned," Esme replied sarcastically.

"Those abrasions will heal, there's no need to be worked up about it," Sebastian told her.

"You don't know anything," Esme grumbled lowly.

She reached over the side of the tub and grabbed a towel. She stood and wrapped it around herself quickly. Sebastian slid off of the counter and pulled the drain up so the water line in the bathtub began dropping. Esme grabbed another towel and began drying her hair. She ran her fingers through it, trying to untangle it. Esme froze when she felt fingers brush the side of her face. Sebastian was behind her and he reached forward; pulling her wet hair back out of her face. The butler rested his chin on her shoulder and smirked. Esme didn't move as his hands dropped and reached into the towel around her. His fingers brushed the skin above her hips and stopped once they reached the initials etched into her skin. He paused for a moment before continuing his investigation. His hands moved up slowly until they were almost touching the bottoms of her breasts before Esme yanked away from him.

"What are you doing?" she asked him in a harsh whisper.

Sebastian ignored her and walked by her. He opened a cabinet and pulled out a container of ointment.

"Those wounds are deep, put this on them," he handed her the can.

She took it skeptically and frowned at him. Esme turned around, her back facing him and opened the container. Carefully, she put it on the tips of her fingers and reached under her towel; massaging the balm into her skin. Once she was finished she turned around only to see Sebastian perfectly clean and dressed.

"When did you…" Esme started to ask and shook her head, "No, forget it, I'm going to bed."

"No, you're not," Sebastian told her.

She picked her night gown off of the floor and slid it over her head, allowing her towel to fall as the gown covered her. She smoothed the material and picked up her wet towel; tossing it into the dirty clothes basket. Esme ignored Sebastian and moved past him out of the room. She marched down the hall to her own room and he followed her closely.

"_What_?" she asked as he entered her room behind her.

Sebastian casually sat down in a chair and turned it so it was facing Esme's bed. She cautiously slid her legs under the covers but continued sitting upright.

"Are you going to watch me sleep now? You're acting ridiculously weird."

"Why don't you return to hell? What's your reason for staying with humans? You don't need to consume souls to survive so why would you remain here?" Sebastian questioned.

"It's a long story," Esme told him dryly.

"You'll tell me then."

"No."

Sebastian's eyes glowed, "I'm ordering you to _tell_ me."

Esme curled her lip, "Fine!"

The butler listened to her carefully as she explained about her childhood and the beliefs of her parents which were passed to her. His face remained neutral as she described the beatings and punishments she underwent from other demons after they had murdered her parents. She completed her story and let out a loud yawn.

"Don't pretend you're tired, you don't need to sleep," Sebastian told her.

"I don't _need_ to, but I _like_ to," Esme replied.

Sebastian sighed and Esme asked him, "What's your back story?"

The butler stood up smoothly and made his way to the door, "You'll never know."

He paused and added, "You were quite disobedient when I requested things of you this evening. I'm feeling generous so I won't punish you for it… but tomorrow is a new day and I won't be as understanding. My requests will also become more… involved."

Esme's face dropped, what the hell did 'involved' mean? She watched the door close and she fell back on her pillow with a huff.


	12. Chapter 12

"Get up."

Esme's eyes popped open and she sat up quickly; her eyes darting around in the darkness. She held her covers close to her chest and noticed a figure hovering over her.

"Sebastian?" she asked in a rough sleep-ridden voice.

In seconds he was on top of her. His weight pressed her down into the bed and she stared up at him with uncertain eyes.

"What time is it?" she questioned.

"It doesn't matter," he replied.

"You said I wouldn't have to put up with you until tomorrow," Esme told him in a tired voice.

Sebastian smirked, "I wasn't lying, it _is_ tomorrow," he said; pulling out his watch and glancing at it.

"What do you want? Barging into my room and jumping on my bed isn't very subtle."

"Be quiet, lie back, hands over your head, _now_," he commanded her.

Esme's eyes grew wide with shock but she immediately complied. Sebastian pulled his gloves off with his teeth and tossed them on the floor. He placed his hands on her hips and grabbed her nightgown; slowly sliding it up. Once it was above her knees he reached underneath the material and placed his palms on her inner thighs. Esme let out a gasp and tried to sit up.

"_Don't_ move," he hissed at her with dark eyes.

Esme scowled and her head slammed back onto the pillow. Sebastian's hands were hot against her skin and she felt chills run up her spine. Esme bit the inside of her cheeks as the butler skillfully moved his hands.

"You shouldn't be doing this," Esme spat at him, trying to wriggle away from his touch.

"I can do whatever I please," Sebastian replied, "Unless my master orders me not to."

"I'll be sure to tell him to give you a message when I see him tomorrow," she growled back.

"Should I believe what you're saying to me? Or what your body is saying? Because at the moment they're quite contradictory," Sebastian said with a hint of amusement as one of his fingers slipped inside her.

Esme gasped loudly and her hips jerked. Sebastian's eyes glowed and he gave her a feral grin.

…..

"Ciel! Don't leave! I'll miss you!" Soma cried out as Ciel stood next to the door with his coat on.

He waited patiently and ignored the prince. He watched the staircase for signs of his butler. He nodded as Sebastian came down from the second floor with suitcases. He placed them by the door and exited the townhouse to bring the carriage around. Esme brought her own suitcase down and silently stood next to the earl. When Sebastian opened the front door Soma grabbed her in a fierce hug. The butler wrinkled his brow with distaste at the sight and ushered his master out the door. Esme waved goodbye to the prince of Bengal and climbed up onto the driver's bench on the carriage next to Sebastian. She didn't speak to him and the wheels began turning.

The ride back was completely silence and when they arrived back at the manor Esme darted inside with her things. She gave Finny, Mey-Rin, and Bard quick greetings before seeking refuge in her room. She heaved a sigh of relief once the door was closed. It felt good to be back in her room with her own bed and scent. Even though she had been there for an overall short amount of time, she had grown fond of her new routine and was glad to get back to it. Esme placed her things back in their proper places and made her way out of her bedroom to the library. She sat down behind her desk and smiled.

…

"Sebastian, I want a cup of hot tea," Ciel said as the butler unpacked his master's suitcases.

"Very good, I'll get it immediately," he bowed.

Ciel looked at himself in the mirror and frowned. They had managed to capture the man committing the kidnappings and murders but he still felt uneasy. There were many things weighing on his mind and he needed to organize his thoughts.

Sebastian entered the room with a tray and placed it down on the nightstand.

"Take it to my office, I have work to do," the earl ordered.

The butler nodded, "Yes, my lord."

As he walked down the hall he caught sight of Esme darting down the hall to the library where the door quickly closed. He smirked and wondered if she actually believed she could avoid him. In Ciel's office he placed the tray down and poured the steaming tea into a cup. Ciel entered the room and sat down in his chair. The earl picked up the cup and took a grateful sip.

"That will be all for now."

Sebastian gave the earl a small bow and exited the room with the tray under his arm. He started to walk in the direction to go to the kitchen and halted with a small smile playing on his lips. He turned heel and opened the door to the library. Inside, Esme sat at the desk scribbling in a notebook. Her eyes shot up and she slammed the book shut.

"What?"

"Are you avoiding me?" the butler questioned, humor glinting in his eyes.

"No."

"Your behavior is odd," he told her.

"Yours would be too if I was the one who charged into your room in the middle of the night and dominated you…" Esme mumbled under her breath.

Sebastian shook his head and said in a scolding tone, "You can't lie to me, and you can't keep secrets either."

"I'm pretty sure nothing is a secret," she growled.

"Your back-talk is still as irritating as usual..." Sebastian said with a scowl.

"Was there something you _needed_? Or did you pop in here just to mess with me?"

"I was only making sure things were in order," he replied simply and added with a nod at her desk, "Continue."

He left the room and Esme squeezed her fists together tightly. Maybe she would get up and leave the manor. There was no reason for her to stay and she had no ties to it. She certainly didn't like Sebastian's little 'obedience' game. The previous night had been awful and she didn't know if she wanted to experience something like that again. He was easy to get meals from and especially delicious, but she wasn't sure that the repercussions were worth it. She stood up boldly, she'd go back to the townhouse where Prince Soma and Agni were. They were always nice to her and she enjoyed their company.

….

"Agni, someone's at the door," Soma stated as he flipped through the daily newspaper.

Agni quickly got up from his chair and moved to the door. He opened it with a frown and his eyes widened upon seeing who was on the other side.

"Prince Soma!"

"What?!" he called to his servant.

"Come quick!"

Soma huffed and tossed the paper on the floor. He drug his feet on the ground and immediately sprang to life when his eyes landed on their new guest.

"Oh Esme! You're back! I'm _so_ excited!"

Soma grabbed her in an iron embrace and squeezed tightly. Esme couldn't help but laugh as the overly ecstatic prince bounced around the room with a glowing smile.

"Where are the others?" Agni asked, peering outside.

"Not here, I left the estate. They drive me crazy," Esme told them.

"Are they treating you badly?" Soma asked with alarm on his face, "Ciel will hear about this!"

"No! Please don't! I don't want them to find me here," Esme said with a serious face.

Soma crossed his arms and let out a huff, "Fine! I'm glad you came here though! You'll be treated like the goddess you are!"

Esme awkwardly stared at the ground and Soma beamed at her.

"Agni! Tea for our guest please!"

"Of course my prince!" Agni bowed, darting out of the room.

"With my luck Sebastian will hunt me down within the hour," Esme mumbled as she sat down in the dining room.

Soma sat down across from her and rested his chin on his folded hands. He stared at her with glittering golden eyes and a warm smile.

"I was so sad when all of you left! It gets quite lonely here sometimes."

Esme gave him a sympathetic look, "I'm sure it does… but if Sebastian and Ciel show up, do me a favor and don't let them know that I'm here."

Soma winked at her and gave a nod to Agni, "Your secret is safe with us."

….

Ciel left his office and trudged through the hallways until he arrived at the door to the library. He was in the middle of doing homework and needed a few reference books. He pushed the door open only to find the room empty. The earl stared blankly at the deserted desk and let out a tense sigh.

He took a step out into the hallway, "Sebastian!"

In seconds the shadowy butler was by his side, "What is it my lord?"

"Where is _she_?" Ciel motioned to the library.

Sebastian leaned into the room and narrowed his eyes.

"Find her."

"Yes, my lord."

…

"You're really good at chess Prince Soma," Esme smiled as he won yet another game.

"This is exciting! The only person I've played is Ciel and he always beat me!"

Agni was in the kitchen preparing dinner and the comfy townhouse was filled with the homey smell of cooking food. Esme inhaled and let out a relaxed sigh, it was much better here. She went to bed that night with a warm feeling in her chest and a smile on her face. In the middle of a pleasant dream Esme was jarred awake by someone shutting her bedroom door. She jolted upright only to see a pair of sinister red eyes glaring at her from across the room. Esme's heart dropped and she felt frightened.

"So this is where you were…" he trailed off in a cold voice.

Esme sat up a bit straighter, "Yes… I like it here. I don't have you telling me what to do every moment of my life and Prince Soma is actually nice to me."

"I don't really care what your reasoning is… my master ordered me to find you, and I did," Sebastian stated.

Esme folded her arms uncomfortably, "Now what?"

Sebastian leaned back against the door and sighed, "Nothing… I found you, he didn't give me further orders."

"So you're not going to drag me back there…" Esme trailed off, glanced hesitantly at him.

"I could do whatever I wanted to do to you, but no, I'm not going to _drag_ you back to the manor," Sebastian replied distastefully.

"So, now what?"

"I'll leave you here until I'm ordered otherwise."

Esme swallowed dryly and stared over at him through her eyelashes. He watched her with a frown on his face but was silent.

"I don't like our deal…" Esme suddenly spoke up.

Sebastian's eyebrows shot up, "Really… what seems to be the problem?"

"I don't like the things you've been doing to me… you're very forceful, even if it's something I don't want to do."

"Are you suggesting what I think you are?"

Esme winced, she didn't want to use the word _rape_, but it was honestly how she felt. The previous morning and the time before that were not consensual.

He spoke up again, "It was part of our deal, I don't have any feelings toward you, so why should I ask your permission? I'm merely using you just as you're using me for my blood. I think it's a fair trade."

Esme growled, "It's not!"

"What do you want to change about it?" he asked.

"What you do to me… isn't there a way you could make it more… enjoyable? Rather than painful and miserable for me?" Esme asked in a quiet voice.

"So needy…" Sebastian trailed off and added, "I suppose."

"That's not very convincing," Esme told him with a grim expression.

"Alright… I'll try to make it more _enjoyable_ for you, not that you deserve it," he huffed.

"Thanks," Esme said sarcastically.

"I'll be going now," he announced and opened the door, closing it behind him.

Esme let out a relieved sigh and fell back onto her pillows. Sebastian really scared her sometimes and her past few encounters with him had been much less than satisfactory. Hopefully he would keep his word and she wouldn't have to evade him like she currently was. As far as her housing arrangement, she was staying put. As long as Ciel didn't force her to come back, she was staying in the townhouse. Esme closed her eyes and fell back asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Sorry about the delay! I know it's been a bit. I finished another story and wrote a small short story over the past month. I got away from this one because I've had some writer's block. I'll keep pushing to get updates, but they might be a bit less frequent since my new college semester just started! Enjoy and review please! :D**

The next day Ciel walked down the hall in his mansion with a list in his hand. He arrived at the door to the library and pushed it open. The earl paused when he found the room empty. He glanced around with a slightly irked expression and took a step back into the hall where he looked both ways.

"Sebastian!" he shouted with a scowl.

The butler was at his side in seconds and bowed, "What is it my lord?"

"Where the hell is that girl? I told you to find her."

Sebastian gave him a small smile, "I did find her."

"Then _where_ is she?"

"Where I found her."

"_Sebastian_," Ciel hissed as the butler gave him an amused expression.

"Yes?"

"_Where_?"

"She's at the townhouse," Sebastian stated.

Ciel's face dropped, "Why?"

"She said that she likes it there and didn't want me to drag her back."

Ciel clenched his fist and squeezed the list of books tightly in his hand, "She needs to be here _working_."

"Your orders?"

"Bring her here so I can have a discussion with her," Ciel stated heatedly.

"Yes, my lord."

….

Sebastian threw open the door to the townhouse and his eyebrows raised slightly upon the sight of the two figures asleep on the floor. Prince Soma's upper body was leaned against a stack of pillows in front of the fire and Esme's head was on his chest. The two were fast asleep as the fire crackled beside them and the butler scowled. He took a step into the house and slammed the door shut behind him. Esme bolted upright with wide eyes and Soma let out a big yawn before sitting up slowly. Sebastian grabbed Esme by the collar of her shirt and pulled her into a standing position.

"You're coming with me," he said coldly; dragging her out the door.

….

"Master," Sebastian stated, as he tossed Esme to the floor in front of the earl's desk.

She hit the ground and curled her lip at him. He narrowed his eyes at her in response and then she heard Ciel shift in his chair. She turned around to face him and slowly stood up from her spot on the ground.

"_Why_ were you at the townhouse and _why_ did you abandon your station? You are to be _in_ the library, not going where you please," Ciel said to her with a frown on his face.

Esme pointed an accusing finger at the butler looming behind her, "Because _he_ won't leave me _alone_! I wanted to get away from him!"

Ciel's eyebrows shot up in a bit of surprise and he looked at his butler, "Sebastian, is this true?"

"I've only been in contact with her as needed," he replied dryly.

Ciel looked thoughtful, "Someone is lying, and if I had to choose, it would be the person who behaves disobediently."

"He's lying!" Esme almost shrieked.

"He _can't _lie to me," Ciel replied confidently.

Sebastian looked smug, "That's correct."

Esme looked back and forth between them. She felt trapped, there was nothing she could do, of course Ciel wasn't going to believe her!

"Then I'm leaving! I quit, I'm going away, you'll never see me again!" she exclaimed.

"You aren't going anywhere, you still owe me work since I've provided you with lodging and meals," Ciel growled.

"If you want me to work then let me do it at the other house and not here, please!" she pleaded.

Sebastian stepped forward, "Only because you want to continue your tryst with the Prince of Bengal."

Ciel's eyes widened, "Is that true?"

"No! We're good friends and that's all!"

"Not from what I saw," Sebastian shook his head.

"You rotten bastard!" Esme hissed at him.

"Shut up!" Ciel barked at both of them.

The two stared at him and Esme roughly crossed her arms.

"You," Ciel pointed at Esme, "Are staying here and continuing your regular work schedule, no sneaking off."

Esme let out a frustrated sigh and stomped her foot. She turned and walked out of the room, slamming the door.

"And you," Ciel pointed at Sebastian, "I have a feeling you're playing word games with me. Have you been doing anything to her?"

"Only what she agreed to," Sebastian replied simply.

"Don't be overbearing, I don't want things getting out of control."

"How long do you plan on keeping her here?" Sebastian asked.

"As long as I want."

…..

"Nothing is going on between Soma and I!" Esme growled to herself as she threw one of her plain black dresses on in her room.

"We were talking and just happened to _fall _asleep! That's not a crime!"

Esme stomped out into the hallway and made her way to the library where she sat down at her desk. She opened the drawer and pulled out her notebook where she kept all of the bookkeeping notes. She started to flip through them when she noticed a stack of books on the floor in front of the shelves. Esme let out a sigh and got up, bringing the pile back to her desk where she started writing the names down. She then began the tedious task of placing each one back where it belonged.

"Esme! You're back!"

She glanced over her shoulder and saw Finny beaming at her from the doorway.

"We were worried about you!"

"Sebastian and Ciel weren't," Esme said with a scowl as she slid another book back onto the shelf.

Finny looked thoughtful, "I wouldn't say that, Sebastian seemed rather hasty while you were gone. He's never that way."

"He was missing the opportunity to torture me," she mumbled to herself.

"Don't be sad! Sebastian isn't that bad, he's hard on all of us!" Finny grinned.

"Shouldn't you get back to work before you get yelled at?" Esme asked.

Finny flinched, "Oh! I should!"

She let out a small laugh as he darted from the room. Esme finished up with the books and took a seat back at her desk. She glanced out the window where the sun was shining brightly outside; it was obvious she was trying to avoid the obvious 'elephant' in the room. She couldn't deny that she thought she had started to be okay with Sebastian after the first few days of her stay. She winced as she thought about the present and, as of now, she was frightened of him. She instinctively touched her throat and wondered what she would do when she needed her next meal. Esme wanted to terminate their deal, but knew that he wouldn't take too kindly to that since they had recently altered it. She hadn't encountered him since his new promise to make it more _enjoyable_ for her. Esme refused to believe that anything could be enjoyable with _him_.

….

Esme was getting ready for bed after her uneventful day in the library. She was surprised that Sebastian hadn't tried to bug her but was deeply thankful. She fluffed her pillow and slid under the sheets. Esme closed her eyes, trying to relax, but to no avail. She didn't feel safe and was afraid if she went to sleep she'd wake up in a bad situation. She finally threw the sheets off in frustration and put on a robe and slippers. If he was going to be sneaky then she was going to confront him directly. Esme left her room and looked around the dark mansion for any sign of movement but everything was still. She had only been near Sebastian's room a few times and decided that she would look there first. At his door she tapped on the wood softly but there was no answer.

"Sebastian," she whispered harshly, "I know you're in there."

Esme waited for a few long moments before letting out a hushed growl and twisting the door knob roughly. She marched boldly into the room and looked around. It was small with a single neatly made bed and no decorations. He definitely wasn't inside. Esme turned slowly and froze when she saw the dark butler looming ominously in the doorway.

"What do we have here?" he said in a low voice, his eyes practically glowing.

Fear instantly spread throughout Esme's body and she started to tremble. She clenched her fists and eyed him sternly.

"What are you planning?" she asked boldly.

He crossed his arms and leaned on the door frame, "Why would I be planning something?"

"Don't answer my question with another question!" Esme spat, "I know you're up to something."

"My master ordered me not to be overbearing, but when you show up in my room, that's hard to do."

"What?"

Sebastian shook his head with a tired look on his face, "I've had quite a trying day, so I'll ask you once… Why are you in my bedroom?"

"I-I couldn't sleep, I had a feeling you were plotting something… So I had to see for myself," she said lowly.

Sebastian walked by her and pulled his gloves off. He placed them on a dresser against the wall and she saw him run a black nailed finger over his contract symbol.

He glanced at her and frowned, "I'm not doing anything, _as you can see_, so why are you still here? A night time snack?"

Esme jerked back and took a stumbling step, "I don't believe you! And _no_!"

"Then _leave_," he told her bluntly, pushing her out into the hall and shutting the door in her face.

Esme stared open mouthed at the closed door in front of her. Was she being paranoid? Maybe he really wasn't up to anything and hadn't spared a second thought toward her. Esme walked slowly as she returned to her room and shut the door softly. She felt slightly guilty and frowned. She got back in bed and let out a relieved sigh.

…..

The next day Esme was back in the library. She quickly returned to her regular regimen of reading books to pass the time and had few if any visitors. Before she knew it, it was evening once again and she headed back to her room. Her stomach grumbled and Esme wrinkled her nose. She decided to go to the kitchen and snatch a few leftovers from dinner. She quietly opened the door and saw Sebastian's back as the butler leaned over the sink with his sleeves rolled up doing the dishes. Esme gulped and took another step.

"What do you need?"

She halted and huffed, "I was looking for a snack."

"Really…" Sebastian trailed off, not turning to look at her.

"_Yes_, really," Esme replied testily.

"I'm afraid there's nothing left," the butler stated as he rinsed a few dishes off.

Esme clenched her fists, "You're telling me, that in this whole damn mansion, there's nothing?"

Sebastian swung around, drying his hands with a towel, "_Don't_ talk to me that way. Maybe if you would have asked _nicely_ I would have prepared you something."

Esme curled her lip at him, there was no way she was going to do that. She wasn't going to grovel for his forgiveness.

"Such a rude young lady," Sebastian scolded, shaking his head.

"Fine, I'll get something tomorrow."

"Would _this_ do?"

Esme was leaving as his voice rang out and she turned to see him pick up a rather large cutting knife. He lowered the blade to the side of his throat and Esme let out a small whimper.

"No," she said quietly, "I'm going to bed now."

He watched her with a puzzled expression as she left and put the knife back down on the counter. She hadn't asked him for any recent meals so there was no reason to do anything to her which involved their agreement. Sebastian didn't want to admit it but he wanted to show that he could cause her immense pleasure just as he had also caused her immense pain. He liked knowing he had that kind of power over her and wanted to make sure that she knew it.


	14. Chapter 14

"Esme!" Ciel barked, "Where are the books I asked for?"

Esme looked up from her desk in the library and pointed at the stack on the corner of it. Ciel curled his lip and stomped forward, grabbing them under his arm.

"Next time bring them to me, I don't have time for this!" he told her harshly.

"What's his problem?" she muttered as he slammed the door shut.

It was late afternoon and Esme stared lazily outside. She didn't want the sun to go down because that night happened to be a night of the new moon. There was no use in getting nervous about it since the only person who was likely to see her appearance had already witnessed it. Sebastian had been acting strange lately and Esme tried her hardest to stay away from him. It was an increasingly difficult task because it had been several days since her last _meal._ She tried to distract herself from the thought but it was stressing her out. She wanted to stay away from Sebastian as long as possible so he wouldn't have a reason to execute obedience orders on her.

Mey-Rin stumbled in the door and meekly asked, "Esme, can I get your help?"

Esme stood, "With what?" she asked cautiously.

Mey-Rin was flushing and fidgeting nervously. Esme arched an eyebrow and patted the maid on the shoulder; causing her to jump.

"What's wrong?"

"I made a mistake…" she said, pushing her large glasses up her nose.

Esme took a deep breath and followed her down the halls. Her eyes darted about, keeping on the lookout for a dark butler. The pair entered the linen closet and Mey-Rin clenched her fists.

"What…" Esme started and her eyes grew large as she saw pink bed sheets.

"I'm so sorry!" Mey-Rin shouted and grabbed Esme, shaking her.

"Aren't those supposed to be white?"

"_Yes_!"

"What did you wash them with?" Esme asked, pulling herself out of the maid's iron grip.

Mey-Rin ignored her, "When Sebastian sees he's going to be so mad at me! Oh no!"

"Calm down, go help Bardroy or Finny and I'll clean this up," Esme told her.

"Oh thank you!" Mey-Rin grabbed her in a tight embrace.

Esme watched her run out of the room and shook her head. She stared at the pink sheets and had no idea what to do with them since they were for Ciel's bed. She would have put them on her own bed but it wasn't even close to the size of earl's. Esme stooped over and wrapped her arms around the pile of sheets when she froze. The door opened behind her and she tried to look over her shoulder.

"My, my, what a compromising position you're in."

Esme let out a huff and dropped the sheets. She turned and faced the demon butler.

"What do you want?"

"I want to know why my master's sheets are pink, and I'd also like to know why you're in the linen closet when your job is in the library."

Esme flinched, "Don't get mad at Mey-Rin. It was an accident."

"So you were trying to cover for her, how admirable."

A draft of air came through the door and Sebastian's masculine scent hit her like a brick wall. She stood rigid and looked anywhere except him.

"Look at me when I'm speaking to you," Sebastian said shortly, grabbing her chin and yanking her head forward.

"Let me go back to my room."

"No."

Esme tried to pull away from him but he leaned closer so his chin was resting on her shoulder. She bit her lip as the soft spot where his neck and shoulder met was sitting right in front of her underneath his shirt.

"Don't be shy," he said to her in an amused voice.

Esme continued to try and escape his grasp but he was firm. She wrinkled her nose and held her breath. Sebastian slowly placed his lips against her neck and sucked softly. Esme inhaled sharply when he bit her lightly and his scent flooded her system. Her eyes became glazed and she surged forth without hesitation, ripping his shirt back and sinking her teeth into his neck. Sebastian let out a tense sigh and Esme grabbed his hair at the base of his neck and pulled. He didn't like to admit it but he was becoming addicted to their little trysts when she needed his blood. He enjoyed the feeling of her teeth sinking into his skin; it gave him a euphoria he couldn't describe. Her aggressive and carnal behavior also made a deep fire burn in him. It was raging at the moment and all he wanted to do was take her to her room and ravage her until she couldn't remain conscious. Esme yanked away from him with a disgusted expression on her face and a bit of blood drizzling from her lower lip.

"Let me go back to my room," she repeated softly.

Sebastian smirked, "I believe after what I've just given you, you owe me yourself for the evening."

Esme's eyes shot to the floor, she knew that this would happen. She let out a sigh, it couldn't be helped, she'd made a deal with him and wasn't going to break it. Wordlessly he followed behind her as she walked through the dark silent mansion to her room. They entered her room and the butler closed the door behind her with a click.

"You know what tonight is don't you?" Esme mumbled as she walked to the bathroom.

Sebastian walked toward the large window and his red eyes looked at the darkened sky where the sun was about to dip below the horizon.

"Of course."

Esme moved back into the room and stared at his back until he turned around to face her. His eyes were practically glimmering in the dim light and his lips twisted into a contorted smile.

"Now then, take that dress off, you won't be needing it," he told her, not moving.

She complied quickly and stared back at him as the last light of the sun faded on the horizon. She instantly knew that the scars and imperfections on her body were becoming visible. Her eyes shot to the floor in embarrassment.

"Are you ashamed?" Sebastian asked her, "Don't be, demons are supposed to be hideous."

Esme's eyebrows shot up but she said nothing. His comment was a bit of a stab to her already low ego but she wasn't going to let it bother her considering who it was coming from. Sebastian started barking out orders right and left and Esme soon found herself underneath him in compliance. She closed her eyes and thought about morning when this and the mars on her body would be gone.

….

Esme woke up the next day with a content yawn and sat up. She was flabbergasted. Sebastian had been incredibly different the previous night and she was utterly confused. He had always been nasty and caused her pain in the past which was why she had went to talk to him about _altering_ the deal a bit. Last night he had caused her anything but pain, and she was still trying to wrap her head around it. He had granted her amazing and undeniable pleasure and she had had no idea that he was capable of that since he was so mean all of the time.

She threw the covers off of herself and stood up from her bed quickly. As she did so her face contorted into a wince as she realized how sore she felt. Esme walked to the bathroom and eyed her reflection in the mirror with scrutiny. She looked like her regular self but inside she was brimming with contentment after the previous night; it made her want to owe Sebastian a few more favors. She got ready for her day and retreated to the library.

….

Months passed and Sebastian found himself engaging in more and more _explicit_ activities with the librarian. The butler was slowly coming to the realization that he might be addicted to their little meetings. He didn't like this because he knew that Esme only did it for the blood which gave her power over him. The past week the female demon had reverted to her old ways and was ignoring and avoiding him. Sebastian was irritated by her behavior and it frustrated him to no end, she certainly enjoyed the things he did to her, so why did she have to act the way she did? He let out a sigh as he wiped the dinner dishes dry and placed them in a neat stack. He was going to see her tonight and he didn't give a damn if she wanted his blood or not.

"Sebastian!"

The butler's crimson eyes opened widely for a moment as he turned around slowly. Ciel stared up at him with a scowl on his face.

"What the hell are you doing? And what the hell have you been doing the past few weeks? You're acting like an idiot!"

Sebastian gave his master a small bow as he continued his rant, "You've always done most of your work at night! Hardly anything has been done in weeks! You're spending more and more time during the day or during times that I need you doing it!"

"I have new nightly activities to attend to," Sebastian said with a small frown, "I'm still finishing all of my work, just at a different time."

"Well go back to how it was before! And new nightly activities? I _know_ you don't sleep so what on earth are you doing?"

"Fulfilling an end of a contract I made."

"Your contract is with _me_, I don't recall telling you to do anything different," Ciel said suspiciously.

Sebastian was silent and stared down at his master with a small smile on his lips. Ciel stared defiantly up at him with clenched fists.

"Another thing, I've noticed that you've been wounded on a few occasions… and it's always in the same place."

Sebastian's eyes drifted to the window in the kitchen where he could see the moon shining. His master was quite observant for such a young boy. The bite marks from Esme took a bit more time to heal than a regular wound since they were inflicted by a demon. The butler always cleaned and bandaged them but there were times when the wound would start openly bleeding. The bandage wasn't enough to hold it and he was only made aware of it when the red seeped through and soiled his white shirts. Ciel let out a furious growl as he saw his butler's attention waning.

"Sebastian I _order_ you to tell me what the hell is wrong with you!" Ciel snapped.

"Nothing is wrong with me young master," Sebastian replied simply.

He wasn't lying, he was in perfect physical condition and there was nothing that was hindering him in that way.

"I'm asking about your mind," Ciel added dryly, "The way you're acting is ludicrous."

Sebastian sighed, he couldn't fib, but he could give vague answers.

"I'm having a bit of trouble with a lady, it's nothing to worry about," the butler said in an even tone.

Ciel's eyes popped open, "What?" he squeaked.

Sebastian turned around and began putting the dishes back in the cupboards with a small smile. It was rare to see the earl speechless.

"You… you have a girlfriend?" Ciel asked in a sharp whisper.

"Now, now, don't twist my words," Sebastian scolded him, "I never said that."

"Do you have one?" Ciel asked, rephrasing his question.

"No," the butler stated plainly.

"Well I don't have time for you to be distraught over some woman! So straighten up!" Ciel barked, regaining his composure.

Sebastian smirked and bowed, "Yes, my lord."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thanks to all of my reviewers! The way I have the rest of this story planned this will be the second to last chapter. Don't forget this is an 'angst' story, and happy endings are not going to happen here! Read, review, and enjoy!**

Sebastian frowned as he did paperwork in his office. It was dark and the only thing lighting the room was a burning candle. He kept eyeing the clock as minutes ticked by and was a bit irritated with having to do some of his work at night again, but it couldn't be helped. His contract was with the earl, not with the girl, so his young master came first. Sebastian zoomed through his work and finally around two in the morning he finished his nightly duties. He left his office and fixed his tie as he walked slowly through the pitch black mansion. The butler kept trying to convince himself that he didn't _need_ these little meetings with the girl but it was getting harder and harder. It was impossible he actually enjoyed her company, he despised her from the day she showed up and there was no way his feelings had changed. He had one objective and that was to serve his master until their contract was finished. Sebastian wanted to get angry with her, it was _her_ fault that he had been so distracted lately. He stood in front of a familiar door and didn't hesitate to open it.

Inside there was a lump under the sheets and Sebastian smirked in the darkness. He walked to the side of the bed and bent over it so he could slide his gloved hands under the sheets. The lump jumped and a head of messy dark hair popped out from underneath the blankets. Esme turned with heavy lidded eyes and squinted up at the butler.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice rough from sleeping.

Sebastian gave her a wounded expression, "How cold, that's no way to greet someone who provides you with essential _nutrients_."

Esme sat up on her elbows and rubbed the side of her face, "I don't want anything… you've been feeding me like a mad man, I don't need it all the time…"

Sebastian folded his arms and made a 'tsk' noise as his red eyes scanned the room around them. He paused at the bathroom door and a wicked smirk spread across his features. In the past few months the pair had performed certain activities all over the manor. Beds were boring and Sebastian was _not_ a boring individual, he liked risky situations with some variety. He tapped a gloved finger against his forearm and his eyes shot back down to Esme who was staring up at him with glowing emerald orbs. The butler felt the urge to let out a sharp hiss as carnal want welled up inside of him. He clenched his jaw and Esme saw the muscles at the back of his cheeks flexing.

Esme was having trouble with their _situation_ as well. The past few months had been a roller coaster of emotions for her. Sebastian was an artist in the bedroom and she had quickly started to become addicted to his sessions with her. The sex had changed from horrendous to astounding and Esme looked forward to it whenever he showed up. Esme noticed that Sebastian refused to show he enjoyed it as much as she did and instead played it off as part of their deal. He would show up at her room and demand that she drink his blood, and then afterwards have sex with her to compensate himself for the provided meal. Esme was curious to know if he still hated her as much as he tried to act like he did in the beginning. His attitude had completely changed and the butler seemed to always be in her business now. He wanted to know what she was doing, when, and how long it would take. The female demon was unsure if this was so he could plan out his schedule to screw her or because he was actually interested in her. The idea of being with another demon terrified Esme because of her past. After her fellow demons turned on her and killed her family along with torturing her she had never looked at her own race the same. She was an outcast from them and the idea of being with one in an intimate relationship brought back bad memories. Esme also didn't like the idea of being tied down in one place, especially with a demon who hurt humans for his own gain. As she stared up at the lean and neatly dressed man in front of her she had a hard time looking at him in a negative light.

"You're distracted tonight," Sebastian said, staring down at her with a piercing gaze.

"I've got a lot on my mind," Esme replied simply.

"I could remedy that," he told her, "I'll do it for a small fee."

Esme rolled her eyes; there he went again, trying to make sex a part of a _deal_ so it didn't look like he actually wanted to be with her. She wanted to stop him right there and call him out, but decided against it.

Sebastian nodded toward the bathroom door, "A hot bath would work wonders."

Esme's eyebrows shot up, "At two in the morning?"

"Demons don't need to sleep, it's a luxury so there's no need to pretend you're being deprived of it," he told her with a bit of a scowl forming on his lips.

Esme was silent and stared at him with knitted eyebrows. She couldn't figure him out if her life depended on it.

"I'll run the water," he said in a low voice as he walked to the bathroom and turned the light on.

Esme threw the sheets off of herself and stood up; her night gown falling just above her knees. She walked barefoot to the bathroom door to see Sebastian placing a stack of neatly folded towels next to the bath where steaming water was running. His eyes shot over to her and the corners of his mouth formed a small smile.

"What's this about?" Esme asked cautiously.

"Don't you like trying _new_ things?" he asked her with an innocent face.

"Sometimes… but you make me nervous," she replied.

Sebastian sat on the rim of the bath and pulled one of his gloves off so he could test the water temperature. Esme watched as his black nails touched the flowing water and she gulped, knowing what those hands were capable of. Those long lean fingers could decorate a cake, make an extravagant meal, mercilessly slay opponents, and turn her world upside down with one touch. Sebastian's eyes met hers and he gave her a withering look.

"Are you going to stand there all night? You look like an idiot with that expression on your face."

"I was thinking!" Esme snapped back.

Sebastian reached up and loosened his tie with a swift movement. He paused and watched as Esme let her night gown fall and then slipped into the bathtub. He turned from his seat on the ledge and stared down at her with a predatory grin. Esme ignored him and let out a content sigh as the hot water surrounded her. She slid in deeper and her dark hair started to float on the water's surface. The mirrors in the bathroom started to fog up from the hot water and a thick steam in the room became apparent. Esme closed her eyes and relaxed in the warmth and silence. She felt the water shift and her eyes popped open only to see Sebastian staring back at her from the opposite side of the tub. He leaned back and rested his arms on the ledge of the bath with a satisfied expression; closing his eyes. Esme tried to close her eyes once again but they kept opening to take in the demon in front of her. His skin was very pale but was blemish free and perfect in the way it covered his lean figure. She eyed his hands with their black fingernails and stared at his contract symbol. The two of them sat in silence and minutes passed by. Esme noticed that the steam was causing both of them to sweat. She could feel her scalp getting warm and noticed the way Sebastian's black hair seemed to cling to his moist skin. She shifted, bringing her hand out of the water to wipe her forehead; drizzling water breaking the silence in the steaming room. Sebastian's crimson eyes opened and he lifted one of his arms from the ledge and ran his fingers through his inky hair. Esme's jaw could have fallen to the floor at that moment, he _had_ to be doing that on purpose, didn't he?

"Have your thoughts cleared up?" Sebastian's voice asked.

"Yes," Esme choked out an answer.

"Good," Sebastian said before he moved with lightning speed to a position hovering over her.

Esme stared up at him with wide eyes as he held himself up by wrapping his fingers around the ledge behind her head. Water dripped from his muscled chest and landed on her nose in quiet drops. Her eyes traveled up to his face which contained a pair of glowing eyes and a feral smirk. She let out a small yelp when he let go of the ledge and reached under her buttocks. He lifted her up under the water so that her legs wrapped around his waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck; clinging to him for dear life. Sebastian's grin grew and he instantly knew he was glad he had decided to visit her that night.

….

Esme woke up early the next morning and tried to turn over. As she did so she realized that there was a warm body pressed against her bare back. It was still dark outside and she felt the arm draped over her midsection tighten around her possessively. Her heart dropped as she instantly realized who it was. Her mind went into a panic as she tried to think of every way possible to escape from the situation. Things were getting too serious for her now and she didn't like it. There was no way she was going to have a relationship with a soul eating demon even though she was starting to realize that she might like him a little more than she initially thought. Esme was flabbergasted that the butler was still in her room and in her _bed_ nonetheless.

"You're up early," he remarked behind her.

Esme stared with wide eyes at the window on the far side of the room and she replied, "Why are you still here?"

"I'm enjoying the luxury of sleeping," he replied simply.

"With me? In my room?" she asked shakily.

"Isn't that apparent?"

Esme paused as his body warmth instantly disappeared. She rolled over only to see that he was already dressed. Sebastian pulled his gloves on and stared down at her with a slight pout playing on his lips. Esme was about to ask him what his problem was when he spoke to her.

"I must tend to breakfast preparations," he told her as he headed to the door.

She watched as the demon butler paused and glanced over his shoulder at her. He looked confused and agitated at the same time. He said nothing and left the room quickly.

….

Sebastian sped from Esme's room to the kitchen where he started making morning tea and breakfast dishes. He was furious at himself for staying in her room last night. Obviously this was becoming a problem because there was no way he was going to have a relationship with someone other than his contract holder. Perhaps he should ask the young earl to send the girl away, that would solve all of his problems. The butler stopped for a moment and frowned at the thought of never seeing her again and not having her at the manor. It was troubling that it disturbed him, it shouldn't bother him at all but those thoughts caused him a small amount of distress in the back of his mind. Sebastian let out a frustrated sigh as he loaded his cart and started pushing it toward his master's bedroom.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Annnnd here's the finale! Thanks to my reviewers and readers! :) Enjoy!**

Several months had come and gone at the Phantomhive estate and the situation had become a bit more obvious to other members of the household. Ciel was a young boy but he certainly wasn't an idiot. After his butler had told him that he was having 'lady' problems a while back, the young earl had pondered over the statement. He finally put two and two together when he one day saw the librarian walking out of the Sebastian's room fixing her hair and smoothing her dress in a flustered manner. No one went into Sebastian's_ room_ which was a dead giveaway to the earl. Since then he had made teasing comments about the girl to his butler who seemed to be slightly agitated by them. Sebastian was never uptight about anything except dogs and Ciel was having so much fun watching him squirm.

"Sebastian, I'm thinking of letting the librarian go… we really don't have a need for her and she's just an extra mouth to feed. Why keep her when _you_ could be doing it and most likely doing it _better_."

The butler paused as he poured his master's afternoon tea but said nothing. Ciel picked up his cup and sipped on the liquid while keeping his eye on the demon.

"Well?"

"Are you asking a servant for his opinion?" Sebastian asked in a low voice with piercing eyes.

"Obviously."

"The more household tasks you have me perform… the less I am able to serve you. I don't think there's any reason to let her go, and she isn't another mouth to feed, she hardly consumes anything."

Ciel leaned his chin on the palm of his hand with a smirk playing across his features. He swirled the tea in its cup and stared at the butler who gazed back down at him with a frown.

"Sebastian…"

"Yes my lord?"

"I could make you tell me if I wanted to," Ciel said back.

"Tell you what?" Sebastian asked with an innocent face.

Ciel gritted his teeth, his butler would never lose his cool in front of him; he was far too sly for that.

"Do you require anything else?" Sebastian asked, a smile forming on his lips.

"No," Ciel practically spat as he watched the tall demon leave his office.

…

A few days later Ciel walked down the hall to the library where he found Esme sitting quietly at the desk reading. He entered the room and stared at her expectantly. She glanced up at him and gave the earl a small smile.

"What do you need?"

Ciel held up a small sheet of paper and handed it to her. She grabbed it and stood slowly; making her way to the shelves. Ciel's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he stared at her physical appearance. He knitted his brows in confusion as he stared at her. He was positive that Sebastian had told him the girl barely ate anything, but from what he was seeing she was gorging herself. Her stomach had always been flat in her plain dress and suddenly it was slightly protruding. It wasn't big, but definitely noticeable. Esme grabbed the books from the shelves and turned to face the young earl. She read over the list again and made sure that everything was present in the current stack. Ciel reached out and wrapped his arms around them; eyeing her skeptically.

"You need to cut down on whatever you're eating," the earl said seriously with a frown.

He watched as her eyes became wide and the color drained from her face. She turned from him and quickly returned to her desk; refusing to make any more eye contact. Ciel let out a huff and left the room with his literature in tow.

…..

Esme knew that something was off. She had felt different for a few weeks now and had no idea what was wrong until something incredibly obvious started to happen to her. One evening when she was getting in the bath tub she noticed that her stomach was a bit bloated but thought nothing of it until it had remained that way for days. After a few weeks had passed she saw that the bloat was getting bigger and instantly knew that she couldn't deny it any longer. She was angry at Sebastian, _he_ had done this to her. She never wanted any of this and it was all his fault. They dragged her into the house and forced her to stay even though she wanted no part of it. Now with her new situation she would be forever bonded with the soul stealing demon.

She sat on the window sill in her room with her legs dangling over the side. The window was wide open and a harvest moon glittered in the night sky above her. She swung her legs back and forth as she thought about her time in the Phantomhive mansion. Up until a few weeks ago she was starting to think she might like being a member of the household. It seemed like things were falling in place and that she had finally found a place where she wasn't a hated outcast from everyone else. She wanted to think she might have found herself a permanent _home_. Esme let out a sigh, that had all changed, and there was no way she could stay anymore. She had grown to like Sebastian but he still was a soul eating beast who preyed upon weak humans. Esme's green eyes went down to her belly and she gritted her teeth at the thought of the monster growing inside of her. She refused to stay in the house and she refused to bring _another_ demon like Sebastian into the world. Maybe she was being rash but she didn't care. She was done with life and wanted it to be finished for her. Esme felt like there was nothing left. If she stayed at the mansion she would be with Sebastian which would only mean more things would spiral out of her control. If she left the mansion she would once again be wandering the streets for a home she'd never find.

Sebastian was completely unaware of her situation. Esme didn't appear to be pregnant; rather, she just looked like she had put on a little weight in her belly area. He hadn't mentioned it and she was relieved that he had left the subject untouched. She took a deep breath, it was only about nine o'clock and the butler came to her room every night in the early morning hours after he had finished his nightly tasks. The female demon swung her legs back into her room where she stood up with a pensive expression. Her first thought was to pack since she was leaving, but that didn't make any since because she was leaving and never coming back or going anywhere else. Esme rummaged through her closet and pulled out the bright red dress that Prince Soma had given her to wear during her stay at the townhouse. She took off her plain black dress and slid the other garment on. Esme examined herself in her mirror and smoothed the material with her hands. She then sat down and started to do her hair while also applying a small amount of makeup to her face. Once she finished she went to the closet where she pulled out her black pumps and slid her feet into them.

Esme gulped and paused for a moment, taking in her quiet and tranquil room where the moonlight was filtering in from her window. She turned and without looking back she left her room. Now that she knew the nooks and crannies of the mansion she could take a discreet exit rather than leaving out her window. Esme knew that Sebastian was in his office doing paperwork and wouldn't suspect that she was leaving. She went to the kitchen and opened the door where the oven was. There was a small door to the outside from the room and she turned the knob carefully. A breeze hit her face and Esme closed the door behind her. She made her way to the stable and grabbed one of the horses from its stall. It was calm and quiet around her and the female demon worked quickly; putting the tack efficiently on the animal. She pulled herself into the saddle and kicked the horse in its flanks which sent the steed galloping off into the night.

….

Sebastian flew through his paperwork and his red eyes kept flashing to the clock and then back down at his work. It was currently midnight and he wanted to get done a bit early tonight so he could indulge with his new found lady interest. He enjoyed satisfying his master by serving him well but the demon butler definitely liked satisfying himself better. With one final stamp the butler finished his work and filed the papers away; then blew out the candles illuminating his desk. He stood and moved quickly from the room. The manor was silent as usual as he stopped in front of Esme's door and smirked. He grabbed the door handle and moved inside the room confidently. The butler paused and his ruby orbs flashed left and right. He noted the open window and the absence of the person he was looking for. Sebastian glided across the room and stared down at the grounds from the window. He backed up with a hesitant step and decided to perform a complete sweep of the mansion, she had to be here, didn't she?

…..

Esme had London in her sights and could see the lights of the city. She pushed the horse to go faster and the path in front of her began to move under her much more quickly. The female demon sniffed the air as she got closer to the city and instantly found the scent she was looking for. Once in the city limits she slowed the horse to a walk and followed the sweet but masculine smell through the sparse streets. The buildings started to look extremely familiar to Esme and she quickly realized that she was back in the red light district of town where the underground dance clubs were located. The scent trail came to a stop at the entrance of one of the clubs and almost on cue the door swung open and a red haired grim reaper walked out into the open.

…

Sebastian let out a frustrated sigh from the staircase of the Phantomhive manor. He had searched every room twice and was absolutely positive that Esme was no longer in the building. The butler walked out the front doors and started scanning the grounds when his eyes landed on fresh hoof prints in the driveway. He darted to the stable where he saw that one of the horses was missing.

"What are you doing?" he mumbled to himself as he set off at a blistering pace down the road.

….

"You're that home wrecker who was with my Sebas-_chan_ a while back!"

Esme frowned and dismounted from her horse. She walked toward the shinigami who was grinning at her through his red rimmed glasses. Grell slung his chainsaw over his shoulder and tossed his head elegantly, causing his red hair to fall perfectly back into place.

"I need something from you…" Esme started and then stopped, not knowing what to say.

"You've gained a little weight haven't you? Although I'll say that red gown is gorgeous! My favorite color!"

"Kill me."

Grell's eyebrows shot up and the shinigami pulled out a book from the inside of his red jacket.

"You're not on my list," he said in a low but excited voice.

"You really think a demon is going to be on your list?" Esme asked with a frown.

"I would love to paint you _red_…" Grell trailed off, licking his lips and adding, "Then you wouldn't be able to mess with my Sebas-_chan_ anymore."

Esme took a few more steps toward the grim reaper and held her arms out to her side. She stared at the shinigami with pleading eyes and spoke desperately.

"Please do it," she begged, "I can't live like this anymore."

Grell inhaled deeply and pulled the starter on his chainsaw so the machine revved to life. It roared loudly and the reaper grinned a maniacal smile.

"If you're going to offer yourself to me… how can I refuse?!"

Grell surged forth and plunged the sharp rotating chain and bar of his death scythe into the female demon's abdomen. Blood spattered and Esme fell to the ground in a heavy heap.

"Such a lovely color, now that dress is even prettier on you," Grell crooned as he started to pull the chainsaw out of her.

"What is this?"

Grell's head shot up and he was met with the sight of Sebastian staring at him with a shocked expression.

"Oh Bassy! You're here! Now that she's out of the way we can be together!" Grell cried out.

The butler walked forward with a blank face and stared down at the fallen girl in front of him. The shinigami yanked his death scythe out of her and her cinematic record sprang forth. Grell's jaw dropped in shock and anger as he saw panels where she was intimately with Sebastian. The record continued to roll, showing images of her traumatic childhood when her parents were killed and she was forever scarred. Minutes passed and Grell wrote in his book diligently, documenting what had happened.

"Well that's that…" he trailed off in distaste.

Just as he finished speaking another, much shorter, cinematic record started rolling. Grell's eyes widened and he stared down at the girl's body.

"There's a second record…" Grell almost whispered.

Sebastian's mouth formed a thin line and the butler already knew what the reaper was about to reveal to him.

"She was going to have a _baby_?! Gah! I killed an unborn child?! What luck… Will's going to have my scythe for this!" Grell screeched, stomping his feet on the ground in frustration.

Sebastian kneeled down and brushed his gloved fingers over Esme's open eyes to close them. He stood back up and grabbed the horse who was standing a few feet away with its ears back.

"Are you just leaving her here?" Grell asked as he watched Sebastian start to move away; leading the horse.

The butler paused and looked over his shoulder, "It's not my problem, she's Undertaker's now."

…

Sebastian returned to the mansion and took the horse back to its stall. He entered the front door and immediately went to Esme's room where he cleaned and removed everything of hers that was in it. When he left it was as if no one had previously occupied it and the room had been returned to its former identity as a 'guest room'. The next morning Sebastian placed his master's breakfast in front of him and the earl stared at him skeptically. He ate in silence and then got ready for the day ahead of him. Ciel sat down at his desk and saw the books he had retrieved from the other day.

"Sebastian, take these books back to the library, and tell Esme to get me these," the earl said, handing his butler a list.

"I'm sorry, but we currently don't have a librarian," Sebastian bowed and took the list, "But I'll get these for you."

Ciel watched with a confused expression as his butler left the room and returned in a flash with his new set of literature.

"Did she run off again?! I'm going to kick her back out onto the street!" Ciel growled.

"She's dead."

Ciel froze, "What? How is that possible? She's a demon… like you, right?"

"A grim reaper's scythe can cut through anything, it can cut and mortally wound me as well as any other demon, young master," Sebastian replied.

"How did she run into a grim reaper? She was here!"

"She was killed in the city," Sebastian stated dryly.

"By that red haired reaper I take it…"

Sebastian nodded, "Yes, my lord."

Ciel suddenly felt awkward, "Are… are you alright?"

Sebastian scoffed, "Why wouldn't I be? She was merely something to keep me interested when I was bored. I cleaned out her things and disposed of them, it's like she never existed."

Ciel frowned, Sebastian wasn't telling the entire story; he could tell. His butler was naturally sadistic and cold, but the earl had noticed a mild change in him after he started spending more time with Esme. Ciel found it hard to believe that her death wouldn't faze him in the slightest.

"Alright… well I'm glad you'll stop acting like an idiot. When she was around you were… odd," Ciel said, staring up at the demon.

Sebastian gave him a smile, "Of course, do you require anything else?"

"Not at the moment."

Sebastian bowed and went to the library. He entered the room slowly and approached the empty desk. The room was silent as sunlight shined in brightly through the window. He opened the drawers of the desk until he found a folded list and a black notebook. The butler sat down in the chair which creaked and placed the items in front of him. Carefully, he unfolded the list and saw that it was of all of the books in the library and where they were located. Sebastian glanced up at the shelves and then looked back down at the black notebook. He flipped it open and his red eyes read the lines of the page which contained titles of books that Esme had read during her long days in the library. He flipped several pages until he came upon a page named 'Books to Read'. He trailed his gloved finger down the title names and stood up. Sebastian approached the book shelves and found the first book on the list; pulling it from its place. The demon sat down and opened it to the first page and started to read.

**A/N: And that's it! Thank you to all of my readers and reviewers once again! If you haven't reviewed, please do! :D **


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